Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts
by TwinklingCupcake
Summary: [fanseries] Hiromi and Aki were two normal girls beginning a relationship. Now they'll have to be Pretty Cure beginning a relationship! The land of Kokoro is in trouble, a Cure has been taken hostage, and Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts will have to make sure Shitsuren doesn't replace all love with heartbreak and despair!
1. Chapter 1

Kokoro.

A beautiful, vibrant kingdom, filled with flowers and birdsong and love. Not a soul in Kokoro hated anybody, or even wished ill will. Everyone who lived there was as kind and warm as the usual weather.

So perhaps that was why it was such a shock to them all when it happened.

Several explosions rocked the great castle to its foundation, sending dust and stone falling from the ceilings to smash to the floor. Several holes were blasted in the walls of the long hallway the prince and his caretaker were fleeing down. But they couldn't afford to stop.

"Mommy, datchu!" Prince Ti wailed, reaching over Coffee's shoulder. The mouse fairy sobbed before adding another plaintive "Papa, datchu!"

"It's okay, Your Highness!" Coffee, a rat fairy, cried over the chaos. "They'll be alright!"

Ti didn't seem to believe it, sobbing brokenly against Coffee.

Coffee just smiled at him, or rather at the side of his head, hoping that it would put him at ease. Well, okay, she knew it wouldn't really, considering she'd just hoisted him up and ran as his parents were taken captive. Right before his eyes. Yelling at his caretaker to protect their son at all costs. And on his _birthday_, no less!  
>But...maybe he would have appreciated at least one smiling face.<p>

She didn't have time to reflect on that much longer. Coffee turned a corner and was forced to halt, gaping in horror and shock at a crowd of shadowy monsters. "U-Usotsuki!" she cried without thinking.

Ti began wailing again, shaking like a leaf and crying for his parents to come save him.

**"Pretty Cure...Lovely Arrow!"**

The Usotsuki screeched as a golden, glowing arrow shot for the center of their number, many of them bursting apart after the magical arrow shot clear through them. Not _all_ were down, but enough.

Someone leaped out of nowhere, scooped up both Ti and Coffee, and bolted down another corridor.

"C-Cure Ariel!" Coffee cried in joy at the sight of the Cure.

Cure Ariel, glad in teal and aqua, her long magenta hair in twintails, smiled at the fairies. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe-"

Another explosion cut her off, and the stone wall directly in front of her blew apart. Ariel skidded to a halt just as a girl stood in the resulting hole, her form silhouetted as she held a playing card between her fingers.

"Found you~!" she giggled. The girl threw another card at Cure Ariel.

Ariel leaped aside just in time. The card struck the wall opposite her, and exploded shortly after impact. Ariel leaped through the hole to get to the next corridor over, ignoring her enemy's loud cry of irritation.

"Don't worry," she said, smiling down at the fairies in her cupped hands. "You'll be safe."

She halted again as there was another loud explosion up ahead, rocking the castle. But she didn't waver. Ariel pursed her lips, and rammed her shoulder against the wall...

...which easily opened up and revealed a hidden room. The room was barer than the lavishly-decorated, regal castle interior. It was pure white, sparkling clean, with a small depression in one of the walls, and a large mirror against the other side of it. Ariel shut the door behind her and ran for the mirror, snatching three rings from the depression as she ran past it. She stopped before the mirror long enough to kneel down, set down the fairies, and pull out a handkerchief.

"Ariel?" Prince Ti whimpered.

"Shh...It's alright, Your Highness." Cure Ariel tied the handkerchief in a knot, then loosely tied it around his neck. "I promise." She scooped them up again as she stood back up, back straight, a gentle smile on her lips. But Coffee could see the way her mouth twitched slightly, the tremor of her brow. "Listen to me. You're going to have to go to Earth. Find Pretty Cure, they can help you. Coffee, I'm entrusting you to take care of Prince Ti, just as you always have."

"Yes, Cure Ariel." Coffee bowed her head.

Ti looked dismayed. "B-But Cure Ariel!" he cried. "You're a Pretty Cure, datchu! You can stop them! You can save my mom and dad, datchu!" His frightened expression only grew when he saw Ariel tighten her lips and shake her head quietly, her eyes flickering closed, head bowed. "Cure Ariel! You have to stop them!"

"I..." she whispered.

The walls shook as a loud thudding resounded around them.

"I think..."

The door dented inwards as another _boom_ sounded, shaking the room and rattling the mirror.

Cure Ariel lifted her head and smiled, tears in the corners of her closed eyes. "I think...this is it for me."

The door actually _burst apart_ the third time, and shadowy monsters of indeterminable shape, with large, glowing yellow eyes swarmed in. Ariel had only a second to act. She leaned forward, slamming her hand against one of the decorative panels on the mirror that turned out not to be decorative after all. The glass glowed a blinding white, and Cure Ariel flung Ti and Coffee through the mirror.

Ti stared in horror and despair as Coffee grabbed him and held him close. "Cure Ariel!"

Ariel smiled faintly, her form rapidly disappearing as the fairies fell further and further into the abyss and the portal closed.

_"Cure Ariel!"_

Just before the portal closed for good, hiding his world from view, Ti saw the monsters swarm Ariel and submerge her. She'd never even had a chance to turn around, or fight.

She was just...gone.

Ti sobbed once before screaming. "**CURE ARIEEEL!"**

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"Uwaaaaaah, I'll be late!"<p>

A teenaged girl hurriedly went down the steps, tying her hair back as she went. Running down the hall, she grabbed her schoolbag from where it sat on a small table, nodding once at a framed photograph. Upon reaching the doorway, she hastily slipped into her shoes. "I'm going now!"

"Eh? Wait, Hiromi! What about breakfast?" A young woman ran out of the kitchen, spatula in hand. She wore a simple white dress over black leggings, her long and silky black hair in a straight ponytail secured at the base of her skull. Her large, black eyes watered fretfully as she watched Hiromi slip her shoes on. "You can't leave for school without a proper breakfast!"

"She's right, you know. You should listen to Emi." Three girls, all identical to the first, peered out from around the corner, tired and bored expressions on their faces.

"I'm sorry, sisters, but I really have to meet someone! I can't be late today!" Hiromi Satou turned around just to clap her hands together in apology, then bolted out the door. "I'm so sorryyyy!"

"Hiromi, wait!" Emi called out, a hand extended. Seeing the girl was already gone, she sighed, then turned an irritated look onto her sisters. "Girls, why didn't any of you stop her, if you agree with me?"

Hatsumi yawned, Harumi speared a sausage with her fork, and Kiyomi just muttered into her coffee. "It's too early for confrontation..."

* * *

><p>Delicate pink cherry blossoms floated down on the students as they walked the wide, brick road to school. Dappled sunlight fell upon the road and teenagers below as the last of the morning fog was burned away, and a fresh, clean air invigorated them all. A small white butterfly flitted above the sea of heads. Truly, it was a fantastic morning to be alive.<p>

But Hiromi Satou didn't have the time to appreciate it today.

Hiromi ran, panting heavily as she tried not to hit herself with her schoolbag. Her thick hair that charitable people would call "dirty blonde" (and less-charitable would call "dishwater") hair held in two sections with the ends in tiny pigtails with pink bobbles bounced heavily behind her, her large green eyes reflecting anxiety behind her large wire-rim glasses. The magenta and black plaid, ruffled skirt of her uniform flapped a bit, rather comically, but Hiromi had no time for embarrassment.

"I'm...so...very late!" she gasped as she raced for one particular tree.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Our Hearts Intertwined! We Are Pretty Cure!<p>

* * *

><p>Hiromi leaned against the large cherry blossom tree, palm flat on the bark, trying to catch her breath. Phew...she'd made it. She'd overslept and had to miss her breakfast, but she'd made it.<p>

Pushing her bangs away from her face, she straightened up, trying to school her expression into a smile instead of a panicked gasp. All that was left was to wait for Aki.

...Hm, but she _did _oversleep. "I didn't sleep in too much, did I?" she murmured, rolling her sleeve back to check her watch. Aki should have been here when she arrived, come to think of it. Aki was always first here, ever since they'd decided to make this their spot, back at the beginning of their first year. Aki was always here first, she lived closer after all, but...if she was gone...

Hiromi checked her watch again, biting her lip harder. Hm, she could have sworn she'd made it at the appointed time...She gasped, hands flying over her mouth.

But what if Aki had been waiting this whole time and got mad and left? What if she thought Hiromi didn't care anymore? What if she thought this was a wordless break-up, or that she'd been betrayed?!

Hiromi suddenly imagined Aki towering over her, much taller than she was in real life, with a dark shadow over her face and a stormy background as thunder rumbled. "_You betrayed me, Hiromi! I thought what we had was special! I never want to see you again!"_

"It was an accideeeeent!" Hiromi wailed, gaining the attention of several students. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I love Aki, I didn't-!"

"Hiromi?"

Hiromi stopped, lowering her hands from where they'd pressed over her eyes, to look at the newcomer. A few feet away, schoolbag hanging over her shoulder, a perplexed but amused look on her face was a girl wearing the same uniform as Hiromi, but swapping out the white socks for black stockings. She had bright, ocean-blue eyes, and her blue-black hair was short and sleek, the ends curling at the nape of her neck. Two thin blue hair clips held her side-swept bangs in place, little hearts on the ends.

"Aki!" Hiromi ran over to her, hugging her tight. "Aki...!"

"Sorry I'm late!" Aki said, cheerfully oblivious. "I would have texted you but...you know, you don't have a phone. You weren't worried, were you?" Hiromi just sniffled and looked away, face red. Aki laughed. "You _were,_ you silly~!"

"I-It's not funny!" Hiromi said over Aki's laughter. "I thought you were mad at me! Y-You're never late, I thought we were over, that you were furious with me and gone ahead and—"

"Hiromi, trust me," Aki said in a warm tone as they began the long trek up the stairs embedded in the hill, on their way to school properly now. _"If_ we were over, I'd be honest one hundred percent, and not just ditch you. Oh, here." Aki reached into the pocket of her skirt and passed a small, shiny-papered box to Hiromi. "Granny made macarons for you."

"Macarons?" Hiromi stared at the box as she held it at waist-level.

"Yup! No real reason either, she just called me over like 'Aki! I made too many macarons this morning! Hiromi is very sweet, isn't she? You should give her the sweets, too!' Fff...silly Granny! You can't make too many macarons! I bet she did that on purpose, right, Hiromi?...Hiromi?" Aki, finally seeming to notice something was wrong, stopped smiling, tilting her head and staring at Hiromi.

Hiromi sniffled, eyes watering behind her glasses, mouth twitching. Her face slowly turned bright red.

"Hiromi?" Aki stopped walking, gingerly touching her shoulder. "Hey...hey, Hiromi, what's the matter? You don't like macarons? I'm sorry, I should've asked before I — whup!"

Hiromi had suddenly flung her arms around Aki's shoulders, wailing and blushing fiercely. "Akiiiiiiii! You're too unbe_lie_vable!"

"E-Eh?! Hiromi, what's that mean? Hiromi, c'mon...H-Hiromi, people are staring at uuuus!"

* * *

><p>Far away, but quite near, there was a large and imposing cliff. It was dark, with many jagged rocks and crevices, and a steepness that told anyone who looked at it that scaling it was impossible. But please, feel free to try, the occupants of that mansion way up there would just <em>love<em> to watch you plummet to certain death, screaming all the way down! Of course one might wonder what a mansion was doing at the edge of a cliff this dangerous anyway.

Maybe it was the waterfall that rushed over the edge of a much higher cliff, behind and to the side of the mansion. The water roared past in a wide, frothy ribbon, vanishing into the dark purple clouds below, catching and reflecting the light from the full moon above. A beautiful sight, if one was into dark and dangerous things.

And of course, the occupants of the mansion were. At least, one was.

"Lovely, isn't it, my dear?" Leisurely seated on the dark purple cushions before the large bay window, a gentleman in a dark suit sipped at his tea and gazed out. The moonlight illuminated his face, his ice-blue hair that was graying in a way that only made him look more distinguished. He sipped again, expertly avoiding getting any tea on his thin mustache or goatee, and cast an appreciate glance at the woman above him. "I truly do appreciate quiet nights like this."

"Oh?" A woman with long, lilac hair that fell in curling tendrils down her back and framed her face, two long ringlets over the shoulders, tilted her head down at her husband. She didn't appear to actually look at him, as her eyes were serenely closed, but Riche knew she could see him anyway. She gathered her floor-length skirts and sat opposite him, setting the teapot between them. "And why would that be?"

Riche smiled, reaching up to caress his wife's face, an action that made her pale pink lips curl into a soft smile of her own. "Because, my love, it means-"

_"Riiiiiiiiche! Laaaaadyyyyy!"_ The sheer volume of the shout seemed to shake dust from the high ceiling. A second later, the wide and ornate door burst open, bouncing off the wall with a _bang_. A girl bounced in, her violet and white skirts swishing about her, her white lace straps bouncing slightly where they sat around her shoulders, her wavy white ponytail behaving the same way. The moonlight caught her black heart-shaped brooch and hair-tie as she bowed slightly, one purple knee-length boot tapping excitedly. "Gooood evening to you~"

Riche groaned, retreating from Lady and trying not to slam the teacup back to its saucer. "Because it means _Tamora_ isn't around the bother us..." he muttered.

Lady just smiled sweetly. "Good evening, Tamora. I thought you were guarding the prisoner tonight?"

"Huh? Well, I _was_, totally was, but then Shylock wanted to do it. Pffft, he's so weird about it~" Tamora straightened up, tongue poking out, and brushed her bangs aside. This gesture didn't do much good, since they fell back to cover one eye a moment later, but she didn't seem to care. "I dunno what his deal with the prisoner is anyway – every time it's my turn to guard, he comes in and asks to take over. Not that I mind, o' course but-"

"Tamora, was there a _reason_ you interrupted Lady and I, or do you just live to ruin the moment?" Riche grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Lady covered her mouth with one hand.

"Huh? Oh, that's right~!" Tamora's smile became a bit more sinister then, her mouth stretching wider as her eyes narrowed, head bowing slightly. The moonlight shining through the window cast a ghoulish glow on her face as she steepled her fingers. "You see...the thing is, I recently discovered that the prince of Kokoro has finally landed. I came to see if you'd like me to...do something about that."

Riche lowered his hand, immediately sitting at attention. "Yes," he said simply, as Lady placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know the prince is not to escape us. Find him, bring him back to our home...whatever the cost may be."

"That's what I was hoping you'd say~" Tamora's lips pulled back to show her teeth. "Fufufufufu..."

* * *

><p>At her desk, a girl with pink hair in large drill-style ponytails shuddered, eyes squinching closed. "Ah! A premonition!"<p>

"Mirai, good morning!"

"Ah, Hiromi!" Mirai opened her eyes; one pink and one red, and smiled at her best friend. "You made it on time today."

"Eh?" Hiromi sat down in the desk next to Mirai's own, pushing up her glasses. "But I'm always on time..."

"Oh, I know that!" Mirai waved her hand. "It's just that today, I had the oddest feeling something was going to happen today. Something out of the ordinary about you!"

"About me? Anything in particular?" Hiromi adjusted her glasses again.

"Hmm...unfortunately not. All I knew was you'd do something unusual. So I thought, 'Hiromi's so punctual, I bet she'll be late today!'"

"That sounds so strange out of context..." Hiromi chuckled a bit despite herself, idly scratching one the side of her face. She faced forward then, gaze landing on Aki at the front of the room.

As if sensing her gaze, Aki straightened in her seat, looked over her shoulder, and waved at Hiromi, a broad smile on her face.

Hiromi turned bright red.

"Hm? Hiromi? Are you okay? Maybe the unusual occurrence is that you'll have a fever?"

The teacher strolled in just then, stopping Hiromi from answering. She set her stack of papers on her desk, smiling pleasantly. Mrs Matoko nodded to the class, issuing a "Good morning, everyone" in a slight sing-song. When they answered in kind, she smiled and tucked a dark blue strand of hair behind her ear and began to speak. "Well, I've got your tests from the other day, and I'm pleased to announce that most of you did a very fine jo-"

The door slid open just then, a young man standing in the doorway with a folder. The armband he wore showed that he was in the student council. "'scuse me, Mrs Matoko? I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm looking for a..." He glanced at the folder. "A Mister Akihiko Oshiro?"

Aki stiffened in her seat, just slightly.

Mrs Matoko frowned. "Hm? No, no, Yagami, you're mistaken. We don't have a Mister Oshiro."

"Really?" His own frown deepened. "Because it says here that-"

"We do not have a Mister Akihiko Oshiro." While her voice was friendly and pleasing when she'd first come in, now Mrs Matoko's voice was cool, hard-edged. She tucked her hair behind her ear again, the simple gesture looking more severe this time. "We do, however, have a _Miss Aki Oshiro._ You might be looking for _her_, but really, Yagami, you should get these things right."

"Huh?" Yagami only then seemed to notice that the overall temperature in the room seemed to have dropped, and the entire class was staring at him icily. He looked back and forth, from the class to the teacher, to Aki who sat smiling nervously at the surface of her desk. "Er...r-right then. Sorry. Uhm, can we get Mist - Miss Oshiro to the principal's office for a minute? Nothing big, he just wants to talk to-"

Aki wasn't fully listening.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>"Hiromi, are you going to the library today?"<p>

"Not just yet. I want to see the school rabbits first. And besides, the librarian said she didn't need me much this week."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

With those parting words to Mirai, Hiromi walked behind the school, towards the greener areas with flowers and forest. _Past_ the rabbit hutch, not inside.

Instead, she leaned against one of the large trees, the sunlight filtering through the leaves and dappling her skin. She sighed, adjusting her glasses, and waited.

A few moments later, Aki appeared, smiling a bit tiredly. "Hey, Hiromi."

Hiromi smiled. "Aki."

There was a long stretch of silence as the two just stood there, in the shade of the green-leafed tree. Hiromi staring at the ground, Aki looking straight ahead. The only sound was the faint birdsong and some soft breathing. Finally, Hiromi broke the tranquil silence.

"It's rough, isn't it?" she asked softly.

"Eh?" Aki turned her head to look at Hiromi, the jeweled hearts on the end of her hair clips glinting in the light. "What, keeping this a secret? Not for me, really...Most people think we're just friends, but-"

"Not that." Hiromi bit her lower lip before going on. "I mean...earlier."

"...oh."

Another long stretch of silence ensued. Aki's face turned a bit pink, Hiromi's turned bright red. "I'm sorry," Hiromi hastily said. "I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine." Aki smiled ruefully. "It...really, it's fine. It doesn't bother me as much as it did before, when I was younger." She held her hands at waist-level, clasped together firmly. "I mean...yeah, it's a little rough, I guess, but seriously, it's okay. Usually. And besides, when stuff does happen, I have friends and the teacher and my family to help me out. Like earlier, in the classroom." She turned her head, to fix her smile at Hiromi. "So...So I'm okay. I do appreciate your concern though."

Her smile suddenly turned a bit cheeky. "As expected of my Hiromi~!"

"A-Aki!" Hiromi sputtered, turning red again.

"But really, I'm fine. Thanks for caring so much about me, Hiromi." She held her hand out to her. "C'mon, let's head out. There's a dance game at the arcade I wanna try!"

* * *

><p>Mirai made her way to the large rabbit hutch. Hiromi had probably already left, after feeding them, but Mirai just wanted to see the bunnies herself. To just play and hug them all, get little bunny-kisses... And of course, she'd pay special attention to her favorite: the little brown baby bunny she'd affectionately, and some would say stupidly, dubbed "Usagi-chan."<p>

A smile appeared on her face as she skipped to the hutch and opened the door. Usagi-chan would surely be glad to see he-

"Come out! Where are you?"

And Mirai stopped dead in her tracks, eyes slowly going wide. The bunnies were all gathered in the far corner, trembling and flinching away from the person inside. The person stood with her back to the door, bearing down on the bunnies, with...was that a playing card held between two fingers? Mirai watched in half shock, half growing horror as the girl threw the card just then and h_oly hell it sliced right through the wires around the hutch!_ The bunnies drew back, making distressed noises and looking at her as if she were a wolf.

"I know you're here! I saw you run in here!" The girl crouched down just then and grabbed one bunny - _Usagi-chan!_ Mirai realized in terror – by the scruff and held it high. "You can't hide from Shitsuren forever!"

And then the bunny went flying.

"Usagi-chaaan!" Mirai darted forward, just barely managing to catch the little thing.

The new girl whirled around, attention focused on Mirai now. "A person?!" Her shocked expression slowly gave way to a pleased smirk. "Well, I wasn't planning on dealing with _people _so soon, but since you're here..."

From the pockets of her dress, she produced a marker, and uncapped it.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hyaaaaaah!"<em>

Hiromi and Aki jumped, turned their heads towards the rabbit hutch. They'd been just walking past it when they'd heard-

"That was Mirai!" Hiromi yelled.

"She sounds in trouble! C'mon, Hiromi!" Aki gripped Hiromi's hand tightly, and they ran for the hutch, where the door was still open.

* * *

><p>Mirai arched back briefly, a large, red glowing mark on her chest. The mark, which resembled a curling heart with a slash through it, pulsed slightly, covering Mirai in a purple aura as she fell to her knees.<p>

Tamora, her arm flung out at her side as if she'd thrown a discus, grinned wickedly. "Your heartbreak over your precious Usagi-chan will fill the River Despair and flood the world!"

Far away, where the mansion stood, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, something like black lightning dancing over it for a moment.

The rabbits continued to squeal and whine in their corner, shifting around to avert their eyes to what was before them. Hidden among them were Coffee and Ti, the young prince whimpering helplessly as Coffee tried to soothe him. "It's okay, Ti," she whispered in a broken voice. "Someone will come, someone will come for us!"

"What's going on in here?!"

It was almost heroic, really. There, silhouetted in the door, were two girls, hand in hand and tensed as if ready for battle. The shorter-haired girl was wielding a water can, the one that always sat against the outside of the hutch. Not the best weapon, but it was a great gesture. "Mirai!" The longer-haired girl ran inside the hutch, placing her hands on her friend's shoulders and shaking her a little. "Mirai, what's wrong?"

Mirai didn't respond to her, just hung her head and sobbed bitterly as one hand clutched her chest.

"How dare you make such a sweet girl cry!" yelled the shorter-haired girl, marching inside the hutch and pointing accusingly at Tamora. "This is far enough!"

"What have you done to Mirai!?" the other demanded.

Tamora groaned, fingers in her ears. "Man, so annoying..." she grumbled. Then she smirked, lowering her hands and brandishing the marker again. "But this is okay too! You wanna see what I did to her? Here, I'll show you~!" The marker was uncapped again, and Tamora swiftly drew the strange symbol in the air before her, then flung her arm out. "Fall into heartbreaking despair!"

"Hiromi!" Aki flung herself at Hiromi, throwing the water can behind her, and shoved the other two girls out of the way. They all fell in a crumpled, tangled heap, and the mark smacked right onto the watering can instead, the momentum sending it through the chicken wire (which burst apart as if a man had ran through) and into the yard behind the hutch.

"Ooooh, this works better!" Tamora squealed in delight as the two girls pulled themselves apart. With a flourish, she raised her hand high over her head, which she tilted back to call skyward. "Come on out, Usotsuki!"

The mark on the watering can pulsed once, like a heartbeat, and then in a burst of darkness, the watering can changed.

**"Usooo!"** Where a harmless, cutesy watering can once sat, now there was a large and shadowy creature. It resembled the watering can, somewhat, but was much larger now and missing the colorful flowers that had once adorned it. The bright and cheerful colors were replaced by dusty dark purple and black, long arms and legs that ended in sharp claws and seemed to be made from darkness itself descended from its form, and a monstrous, fanged mouth and sinister eyes glared down at the hutch. The eyes and mouth glowed a horrible, vivid red. **"U-sooootsukiii!"** it roared.

"Wh-what the heck is that?!" Aki blurted out, staring through the hole in the wire.

"Usotsuki! Attack that school and plunge everyone into despair!" Tamora yelled.

**"Uso-!"**

"No!" Without thinking, both Aki and Hiromi climbed through the hole, ran for the Usotsuki as it turned its attention to the school building.

Unnoticed by Tamora, Coffee and Ti slowly stuck their head out from among the rabbits.

"Haaah? What's their problem?" Tamora mumbled, hands on her hips.

The Usotsuki lumbered towards the school, raising its arms –

– and two schoolbags, looking absolutely tiny in comparison to the monster, were thrown at its back. The Usotsuki actually stopped, turning to look at the two girls in confusion. **"Uso?"**

"We said _no!" _Hiromi yelled, arm still outstretched.

"I don't know what you are, and truth be told I don't even care!" Aki joined in. "But you've hurt one of my Hiromi's precious friends and now you're trying to destroy a school, to hurt other people! We can't let you do that to people or things we love!"

"Love? Wow, these two are weird..." Tamora muttered.

Ti had heard enough. He shoved away from the rabbits, and ran for the hole in the hutch, closely followed by Coffee. "Ti, wait!" she called.

"Huh? He-Hey!" Tamora yelled as the rat and mouse fairies darted between her feet. "I knew you were in here!"

"You may be a scary monster," Hiromi was saying as Ti drew closer to her. "But we'll still do our best to stop you from hurting others!"

"That's right! Both of us!" Aki yelled.

**"Uso!" **The Usotsuki didn't seem impressed by this at all. It turned itself bodily around, lifted one huge hand...

"You two, datchu!" Ti yelled, reaching into the bundle around his neck.

"H-Hu – What-?" Hiromi gasped, having precious little time to do anything else.

"Hurry! Take these, datchu!"

Two rings, one pink and red, the other blue, were thrown into the air above the duo. Without thinking, Aki and Hiromi reached out, each grabbing a ring in one hand.

-and the Usotsuki's hand came down.

It never made contact, however. From Hiromi and Aki's hands, between their fingers, came rays of golden light, briefly blinding them and making the Usotsuki draw back, roaring in pain. "Wh-what the...?" Aki gasped, blinking the dark spots out of her vision.

"Quick, datchu!" Ti called up in a panic as Coffee reached him. "Put the rings on and say 'Pretty Cure, Love's Song,' datchu!"

"Without the 'datchu!'" Coffee hastily added.

Aki glanced at Hiromi. "You know what's going on?"

Hiromi shook her head. "Huh uh..."

The Usotsuki seemed to recover then, roaring furiously and raising both fists to strike the girls again.

"But..."

"We'll do what you say!"

The rings were slid on.

Hiromi and Aki stood back to back, their ringed hands held in front of their chests, the other hands clasping with fingers intertwined. Both of them were glowing in light; pink on Hiromi, blue on Aki, with glowing hearts dancing about them. **"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

The rings glowed and bursts of light appeared over them. Hiromi (now without her glasses) and Aki remained back to back, their hands clasped together and heads tilted against each other as the two spun around. Hiromi's ponytails came undone, and both girls' hair suddenly lengthened and changed. Hiromi's hair became a golden blonde, forming four large ringlets behind her; Aki's sleek hair tinted to a brighter blue and became fuller and feathered about her face, a long whip-like ponytail tied in a purple ribbon at the base of her skull. The light wrapped around both of them and then burst outward, revealing the tops to their new outfits. They smiled briefly, letting go of one hand to fly away at arm's length from each other. Each girl stuck out one leg as if they were dancers, and the light wrapped around both their legs and waists, then burst away in sparkling hearts to show the skirts and boots. Aki pulled Hiromi closer to her, each girl taking the other's hand again and raising it to her lips to kiss their fingers, gloves appearing on their hands right after. Their closed eyes opened, revealing that Hiromi's dark green eyes had become bright as emeralds and Aki's had turned a golden amber. They looked at each other, smiling widely, then bumped their foreheads together as light flashed on their ears and heads, revealing earrings and tiaras. They spun around once more, hands still clasped, and then stood back to back with one arm outstretched above them.

The girls smiled softly, her hand resting lightly on her chest. Hiromi wore a pink and gold uniform with slashed puffy sleeves, a pale pink corset with dark pink ribbon criss-crossing in the front, the skirt that flowed out from it was striped dark pink and light yellow and sat over pale pink petticoats. Pale yellow ribbons sat on either side of her waist, she wore pale pink elbow-length gloves with pale yellow ribbons around her wrists, a pale pink high collar and dark pink choker. Her pink boots reached her thighs, the toes, heels, and part of the front were pale pink and she wore pale yellow ribbon around her ankles and a bow at the tops. Her golden tiara was adorned with a bright pink heart-shamed jewel, and her chandelier earrings were dark pink ribbons with pink heart-shaped jewels.  
><strong>"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"<strong>

Aki smiled, clasping her hands in front of herself as if in prayer. Aki's outfit was similar, but her gloves reached her upper arm, her boots reached her knees instead of thighs, and instead of waist ribbons, she wore a large ribbon on her lower back. Where Hiromi's outfit was pink, Aki's was purple, and where Hiromi's was yellow Aki's was blue.  
><strong>"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"<strong>

The two joined their hands together, fingers curling so together they formed a heart shape. **"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"**

This all happened in the blink of an eye, and the Usotsuki's fists were just about to crash down on the two. But then it stopped.

Or rather, something stopped _it._

"**Uso?!"**

"What the heck?" Tamora mumbled.

Cures Capulet and Montague stood with their arms over their heads, hands holding the Usotsuki's fists above them. Their heads were bowed at first, then snapped up to reveal the twin glares on their faces.

"We don't know what's going on..." Capulet began.

"But we won't let you hurt anyone!" Montague finished.

The two tightened their grasp on the Usotsuki's fists, pulled and leaned back, and the Usotsuki was pulled over their heads and sent crashing into the ground behind them. The ground shook upon impact, huge clouds of dust billowing up.

Capulet and Montague blinked, and then stared. The adrenaline rush had mostly worn off and now... "What...did we just do?" Montague mumbled.

"What did we _say?"_ Capulet said, face tinting pink.

"Gaaaah, Usotsuki! Get back up and finish them!" yelled Tamora.

The Usotsuki grumbled under its breath as it pulled itself back to its feet.

"Quick, Pretty Cure!" Coffee poked her head over Montague's shoulder, surprising the blue and purple Cure. When had she...? "Join hands and summon the Rapier Wands! Finish it off before it does any more damage!"

"That rat is talking..." Capulet said.

"Rapier Wands?" Montague frowned lightly, then reached out and clasped Capulet's hand, their fingers intertwining.

From the pink and purple heart-shaped gems on their chests burst two lights, and two rapiers appeared before them. The rapiers were gold, with sparkling pink and gold, or purple and gold, handles; a heart-shaped gem sat atop the base of the hilt.

"Wh-whoa!" Capulet and Montague said together. As the Usotsuki finally pushed itself back up, they reached for their new weapons. Coffee leaped off Montague's shoulder and out of the way.

**"Entwine! Our hearts are one!"** The two Cures stood shoulder to shoulder, angled slightly and held in the _en garde_ position. The Rapier Wands began to glow slightly as the girls turned and leaned forward, each of them tracing half a heart in the air, connecting to form one large, blue and gold heart of light. **"Pretty Cure...Dual Heart..."** They dug in their heels, thrust the Rapier Wands outward. **"Shot!"**

The heart shot a stream of gold and blue light, heading directly for the staring Usotsuki. It slammed into it, creating a white glowing heart in its center. **"U-Usotsuki-!"** it managed to screech before the glow spread outward, disintegrating it to nothing.

A harmless watering can fell back to earth.

"Ohhhh no," Tamora muttered. "This is bad, this is real bad!" And with that, she teleported out of sight.

Before their eyes, everything went back to normal. The hole in the rabbit hutch mended, the crater the Usotsuki had formed on impact vanished. Inside the hutch, the little rabbits tentatively hopped over to Mirai, who slowly sat up again, blinking tiredly. "Hmm...what was I...?" she mumbled, lifting a hand to her head.

Usagi-chan hopped onto her lap, pawing at her.

"Ah, Usagi-chan!" Mirai gasped, and she lifted the little bunny into her arms, giggling as he kissed her. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "I-I'm not sure why, but I'm so glad you're all alright!"

* * *

><p>Hiromi and Aki walked down the hill together, hands clasped, staring blankly.<p>

"...that was a dream, right?" Hiromi asked.

"A vivid dream." Aki nodded.

Coffee popped up on Aki's shoulder, her eyes sparkling. "It wasn't a dream~!"

Ti appeared on Hiromi's shoulder, teary-eyed. "We found Pretty Cure, datchu! Someone to save Mommy and Papa, datchu!"

"Ehhhh..." Aki sighed, hanging her head. "I still don't get any of this...could you two give us an explanation?"

"Please? If I have to keep another secret, I wanna know just what we're doing!" Hiromi added.

The rings, worn on the hands that were clasping together, glinted brightly in the sun.

* * *

><p>In a far-off place, a girl sat in the shadows, her features obscured by the darkness. She had a very nice-looking room, wide and spacious with elegant tapestries, a large four-poster bed, and a lovely tea-set with cookies on a saucer already. But she was clearly not enjoying her surroundings, instead staring at her hands in her lap.<p>

The wide doors opened, causing her to lift her head and look at the newcomer.

A young man with shoulder-length black hair stood in the doorway, eyes closed. "...Cure Ariel," he said in a low, deep voice. His eyes opened, revealing them to be lime-green and expressionless. "It seems your two friends have had a stroke of luck."

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<br>Hiromi: "Wehhhh, I don't get what's going on here at all! Suddenly, Aki and I are transforming heroines, and we have to fight these horrible monsters!"  
>Coffee: "It's lucky our first Cures are so close to each other already!"<br>Hiromi: "Ah, well...the thing about that is... Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Double Hearts! How We Began.' Let love heal your heart!"


	2. Chapter 2

Around seven in the morning, Aki was awakened by a gentle knocking on her door, followed by a kind, feminine voice.

"Young Miss, it's time to get up. May I come in?"

"Hmmm..." Aki sat up in bed, rubbing at one eye. Her normally sleek and well-groomed hair was a tousled mess, and there was a bit of drool in the corner of her mouth. She yawned widely, absently moving the covers over the little fairies still dozing on her mattress. "Mmmm, yeah, c'mon in, Emma."

A young woman in a long-skirted maid uniform opened the door, a set of clean clothes hanging over one arm. She smiled as she approached Aki, who yawned again and swung her legs out from under her blankets. "I've washed your day clothes," she said as she set the clothes next to Aki. "And I've got some coffee brewing for you downstairs."

"Hmmm, yes?" came a tired voice from the blankets. Aki tensed up.

"Yep, as always!" Emma smiled cheerfully, completely unaware. "Do you still want the usual French vanilla cream, or the new mint cream that came in yesterday?"

"Mint sounds good!" said Aki, wide-awake now.

"Alright, then! I'll pour you some after I've brushed your hair."

"Actually, Emma, I can do that myself today!" Aki smiled, taking the brush from her.

Emma blinked, smile fading. "Eh? But I've always brushed your hair, ever since you were seven."

"I know, but today I just wanna do it myself," Aki said, smiling disarmingly. "Please?"

"Well..." But Aki was already shoving her out the door. "I suppose-"

"Great, thanks, Emma~!" Aki said before hastily shutting the door. She sighed in relief as she turned around to lean against it, shoulders slumping. "Close..." She walked over to the bed and lifted her covers to look at the now-awake Ti and Coffee. "You silly-heads..." she chuckled. "If you're gonna live with me, you gotta stay hidden! Although, now that I think about it, maybe that 'coffee' thing is gonna get confusing..." she added, shifting her eyes skyward.

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>A short time later, Aki was at the breakfast table, sipping her coffee and eating a crescent roll. Hidden on her lap, beneath the table cloth, were Coffee and Ti, happily partaking in half a crescent roll each.<p>

"So, Young Miss," began Emma as she put away the coffeepot. "What are your plans for today? There's no school, and I know you like to go out on the weekends."

Aki swallowed, then smiled brightly. "Well, today I was thinking of going to the candy shop! They're selling those tiny chocolate hearts everyone's talking about."

Emma's eyes widened and began to sparkle. "Ooooh, the ones that are made with _German_ chocolate and have hot melted chocolate in the center and no one knows how they do it?"

"Yup~"

"Eeeeee~!" Emma quickly placed the coffeepot on the counter and squealed, fists beneath her chin. "Ohhhh, you've got to bring me one, Young Miss! Please please please! I don't ask for much, but if you could-!"

Aki laughed, causing Emma to stop right then and blush. "Sure, no problem! I'm going early so we can get them before they run out." She downed the rest of her coffee, pushed out of her chair (Ti and Coffee hastily scrambled into the messenger bag she was wearing) and jogged out of the room. "Well, I'll see you later, Emma!"

"Bye-bye, Young Miss!" Emma called, waving lightly at Aki's retreating form. After a moment, though, she stopped, blinking in confusion. "Wait...'we?'"

* * *

><p>As Aki hurried down the sidewalk and into town, Coffee poked her head out of her messenger bag, briefly glancing at Aki's ensemble. "Wow, Aki's stylish today!" she said.<p>

Aki grinned, pausing to twirl a little, as if showing off her outfit to an invisible audience. She was wearing a lot of blue, as she usually did when not in her school uniform. Dark blue long-sleeved shirt with a light blue shirt over it, with short and puffy sleeves; a blue tiered mini-skirt over dark blue bike shorts, and white and blue sneakers was the look for the day. It was the same outfit she always wore on weekends when she...

"Aki's rules for dating number one~! Always look super-cute when meeting your super-cute girlfriend~!"

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Double Hearts! How We Began.<p>

* * *

><p>Outside a crowded candy store, a girl wearing a baggy tan sweater and a long, ruffled brown skirt with a ribbon about two-thirds over the way down it stood tapping one dress-booted toe against the ground over and over. This girl was Hiromi, and she watched the crowd a bit nervously, biting her bottom lip and bunching her skirt in her hands.<p>

"That's a lively crowd..." she mumbled as a guy got pushed outside the shop. She just barely heard his 'Ah! I got some!' as he ran off with a brightly-colored bag, too lost in her own thoughts. "I hope Aki gets here soon...Otherwise they'll run out and..."

A horrible image suddenly filled her mental theater. Herself and Aki stood in a quiet, empty candy store with the lights dimmed, the owner holding out empty trays to them. "Sorry, girls," he said in a deep, rumbling voice. "We're all out of Sweetheart Chocolates..._forever!"_

"Nooooo!" Hiromi started to cry. "I haven't even gotten to taste one yeeeet!"

"A-Ah!"

Hiromi looked up at the sound of the cry, just in time to see a girl close to her own age be shoved away from the crowd. Her feet tangled up in themselves and slipped out from under her, causing her to fall backwards. "Look ou-!" Hiromi started, but just as quickly as the girl began to fall, someone reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulled her back up. The girl sighed loudly, casting an appreciative smile at her rescuer.

"Thanks, Daisuke," she breathed.

"No problem!"

Hiromi's expression softened a bit.

* * *

><p><em>"A-Ah!"<em>

_Hiromi fell backwards, having slipped on the stairs just before she reached the top. Her heart leaped into her throat, pounding like a jackhammer. _

_"Hey, watch out!"_

_Someone's hand snapped out, firmly grabbing her wrist, and __**pulled. **__Hiromi was quickly thrust in the opposite direction, stumbling as she reached the last stair and the safety of the walk to the school gates. She was still startled, and her ankle was probably bruised where she'd kicked it in the rescue, but it was certainly better than the horrific alternative. She sighed in relief, shoulders slumping. "Oh, thank you so much..."_

_"It's no problem!" _

_Now Hiromi looked up at her rescuer. It was a girl with blue-black hair who still held her wrist in one hand. The girl smiled at her, tilting her head slightly. "I'm glad I caught you." She looked over Hiromi's shoulder to the stairs. "Oh, hey, you dropped your umbrella! Take mine, get in the school, okay? Don't want you slipping again, yeah?" She passed Hiromi her own umbrella before carefully going down the steps._

_Hiromi just watched her go, face tinting pink._

* * *

><p>In the present day, Hiromi's face was still a bit pink. She smiled a bit, lowering her head and toying with strap of her purse.<p>

"Hiromiiii~!"

She startled a bit, turned and smiled at Aki as the girl raced up the walk. "Ah, hi, Aki!"

"Hey! You weren't worrying, were you?"

"No, not this time."

Aki's eyes narrowed as her grin widened a bit, and she poked Hiromi's forehead lightly. "You liar~ Your skirt is bunched up a little, and your knuckles are still white. Hiromi, you've got to calm down! Your blood pressure'll thank you."

"Ehhh..."

"Now c'mon!" Aki seized Hiromi's hand tightly, dragging her towards the crowd. "Let's get the chocolate! To arms! Raaaaargh!"

* * *

><p>Riche sat on the edge of the loveseat, one leg over the other. Lady sat demurely next to him, and Shylock stood with his back in a corner, arms folded lightly over his chest. All three were looking at a very sheepish Tamora.<p>

"While I am glad you filled the River Despair a bit," Riche began, casting a brief glance out the window. "I _am_ a bit disappointed that you didn't bring the prince to us."

"Wasn't my fault!" Tamora said quickly. "I tolja before, it was some new Pretty Cure! Two of them woke up at once, and they just - they just - They hurt my beautiful Usotsukiiii!" She began to wail, large tears pouring comically down her face.

In a flash, Lady was at Tamora's side, patting her shoulders and smiling softly. "Now, now, dear, it's alright...It's alright if you were taken by surprise. None of us were expecting a new Pretty Cure to awaken. Not even Break."

At the mention of that name, there was a sudden hush, as if a thick and heavy curtain had fallen over them. Tamora stopped crying, blinking back her tears, and the males looked more solemn than usual. "Break..." she whispered.

"He more than understands, don't worry," Lady murmured. "I spoke to him."

"You spoke to Break?! _Alone?!"_ Riche suddenly leaped up from his seat, crossed the room and grasped Lady's shoulders. "Are you alright, my love? He didn't scold you too badly, did he? You should have come to me for moral support, love!"

"I'm alright, dear," Lady said quietly, smiling faintly. "It wasn't as unpleasant as I feared it'd be."

"Be that as it may!" Riche removed his hands from Lady's shoulders, curling one into a fist. "My darling wife shouldn't have had to speak to Break alone! And it's all Pretty Cure's fault that she did!"

Shylock rolled his eyes. "Pretty Cure has nothing to do with Lady seeing Break, Riche," he intoned. "She would have had to speak to him soon regardless of if new Cures awakened or not."

"Be _that _as it may!" Riche went on. "They've caused my wife suffering-"

"She just said she didn't."

"-And I'll be paying them a little _visit."_ Riche turned away from the others, marching for the large doors with purpose. "Shylock, watch the prisoner. Lady, stay here. Tamora..."

"Yes!"

"Be quiet and don't disturb anyone."

Tamora pouted as the doors swung shut behind Riche.

* * *

><p><em>"Ehhhh? <em>The_ Aki Oshiro saved you?!" Mirai squealed, slamming her hands on her desk._

_Hiromi sat at her own desk, patting at her hair with some paper towels. "U-Uh huh..." she mumbled. She looked up from beneath her bangs, blinking. "Wait...'the?'"_

_"Ah, that's right, you went to a different school," Mirai said, and she sat back down in her chair. "Aki Oshiro's really rich, and really nice, and really pretty-"_

_"So she's like a princess?"_

_"Well, the thing is, you'd expect her to be but-"_

_The door burst open just then, Aki Oshiro herself sailing in and waving energetically. "Gooood morning, everyone~! Heeey, Yuki, how you doin'? You look good in the high school uniform! Hi, Antoinette, did you dye your hair? Looks great! Heeey, weird to have rain on the first day of the new school year, huh?" She grinned and sat down in her chair, as if things were perfectly normal...ignoring that she was soaking wet._

_Hiromi just stared. "...oh."_

_"Yeah, not what you might expect." Mirai laughed behind her hand._

_"Oh!" Aki suddenly stood up again, crossed the room and_

_stopped_

_right in front of _

_Hiromi's desk._

_"You're from earlier," Aki said, in a much quieter and gentler tone than before. Without waiting for Hiromi to respond, she opened her schoolbag and withdrew an umbrella, already prepared for storage. Hiromi recognized the pink fabric and the decorative bunnies. "Sorry I took so long getting this to you, but there was a bit of wind, you see."_

Is that why she was later than the rest of us? _Hiromi thought, blushing again as she reached for the umbrella. "Th-thank you."_

_As she took the umbrella, the girls' hands touched._

* * *

><p>"Whooo, we managed to get some!" Aki beamed, holding her bag high above her head as she walked. The bag, a bright, glossy pink one with a pattern of red hearts and tied with white ribbon, swayed back and forth in her hands. She gave it a quick shake, smiling wider as she heard the candies inside. "What luck, huh, Hiromi? We got some before they all ran out."<p>

Hiromi walked, more awkwardly, behind Aki, holding her hand for support. "Y-yeah..." she mumbled, fixing her askew glasses back into place. _How the heck did Aki end up less roughed-up than me?!_

Aki's hair had been messed up a bit, one of her hair clips was dangling loosely, and she was a little red and sweaty. Hiromi, on the other hand... "I think someone took one of my hair bobbles," she said. "A-And someone had juice and spilled it on my skirt..."

Ti and Coffee poked their heads out of Aki's messenger bag again, looking rather dizzy and disoriented. "The crowd was scary..." Coffee mumbled.

"...datchu," seemed to be all Ti could provide.

Hiromi adjusted her glasses again, her own bag of candy held between her thumb and forefinger, and stared at the two fairies. "But you know...I still don't have any idea what you two are. Or what you're doing here, or why we were able to transform like that."

"Oh, that's easy!" Coffee perked up. "We're fairies—"

"Yes?"

"We come from a magical world-"

"Yes?"

"And you two are legendary warriors~! Ta-daaaa!" Coffee beamed, holding her tiny arms out.

Hiromi just stared, brows lowered and lips pursed. "That still makes no sense at all!"

"Aw, c'mon, Hiromi. No rush, right?" Aki said, guiding Hiromi to a bench. "I mean, things have just started; there's all the time in the world to talk about this thing, right?"

"Aki, I just wanna know what exactly is going on, what we're in for!" Hiromi protested. "I mean, saying magic words while wearing a ring and then turning into a Lolita model?"

"That wasn't Lolita," Aki said.

"You have to admit it's not normal."

"Well, I'll concede that, but it still wasn't Lolita." Aki opened her bag of chocolate and took out one of the little hearts, turning it a few times between her thumb and forefinger. "Wow, this is really well-made...no bubbles!"

"A-Aki..."

"You know..." Coffee began, climbing out of the bag and taking Ti with her. "I honestly didn't expect the _two_ of you to both transform at once. Normally, two Cures only transform at the same time when their hearts are in sync with each other, beating as one... You two must be really close!"

"I sensed that right away, datchu," Ti added.

Aki grinned, glancing over at Hiromi, who was blushing like a tomato, her glasses strangely opaque. Silently, she reached out and placed her hand over Hiromi's own. "Thanks for saying so."

There was a brief, somewhat awkward pause. Finally, Hiromi looked up, eyes a bit teary in her embarrassment. "Y-You're n-n-not gonna a-ask what's going on?"

Coffee scratched the side of her face. "I think we can figure it out."

As Hiromi opened her mouth to say something, Aki chuckled and tossed a chocolate into the latter's mouth.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p><em>"Next up! Hiromi Satou!" the gym teacher's voice rang out loud and clear from where she stood, stopwatch in hand. <em>

_"Yes!" Hiromi hopped up from her position on the grass, walking to the start line...and caught Aki's eye._

_Aki sat on the bleachers, wearing her gym uniform, bloomers and all. She was just sitting there, watching everyone else get timed, her hands resting on her knees, a small and..._

_Was that smile_ sad?

_"Hiromi!"_

_"R-Right! Sorry." Hiromi faced forward, taking her place and waiting for the whistle. When it came, she bolted from the starting line like a shot, arms and legs pumping, breathing steady..._

_And then her ankle seemed to work wrong and she was sent spilling to the ground, scraping up her knees. "Kyah!"_

_"Hiromi!" Mirai called out, jumping to her feet._

_"Satou! Are you okay?"_

_"Y-Yeah, I'm okay..." Hiromi forced a smile as she rose to her feet and hobbled to the bleachers. "J-Just let me sit out, please..."_

_Aki blinked, and then widened her eyes slightly as Hiromi approached her, and sat down right beside her. She stared at the bespectacled girl for a moment, then started laughing quietly behind her hand. _

_Hiromi smiled faintly. "What?"_

_Aki lowered her hand, and shifted her eyes towards Hiromi. "You fell on purpose." Hiromi's embarrassed laugh was all the answer she needed. "Why? You don't like gym?"_

_"It's not that. It's...you looked a bit lonely over here." Hiromi's smile faded, and she turned to look forward again. "And...I thought it wasn't right, and I should come sit with you. You seem really nice, Aki..."_

_"Do you want to come to the arcade with me after school?"_

_"H-Huh?" Hiromi's head jerked up, and she stared wide-eyed at Aki. Aki was just smiling nonchalantly, though there was a little pink to her cheeks. "What?"_

_"Well...if you think I'm nice, and you even fell on purpose to sit with me and keep me company, then we should do something together. We can go to the arcade after school today for a start." Her eyes closed and her smile widened. "Besides, I kinda wanted to talk to you more after the umbrella thing."_

_Hiromi swore there was steam coming from her ears._

* * *

><p><em>"I - I dunno if this is a good idea!"<em>

_"C'mooon," Aki said, nudging her hand out at Hiromi. "It'll be fun! Better than me doing something while you just stand and watch, right?"_

_Aki stood on the platform for the arcade's dancing game, one hand on her knee as she leaned over to Hiromi. She held her hand out to her, trying to coax her into a dance. "Come on, it'll be fun."_

_"P-P-People will stare-"_

_"I promise you, no one watches anyone on these things," Aki said gently._

_"I-I'm not real good at this." Even as she said this, Hiromi's hand slowly lifted towards Aki's._

_"I can dance well enough for both of us. Besides, it's not about skill, it's just fun." Aki just kept smiling, her hand still proffered._

_Hiromi hesitated a moment longer, then clasped Aki's hand._

* * *

><p><em>"A little to the left..."<em>

_"Like this?"_

_"Yeah."_

_Aki's tongue poked out between her lips as she lowered the crane according to Hiromi's instructions. "You know, I've never actually gotten anything in one of these. I keep feeding it money but I never -_ no freaking way!" _Aki's eyes went as big as dinner plates when the crane lifted up, a toy in its grip. "Holy freaking cow, I got one! Hiromi, you – did you see – how did-?!"_

_Hiromi just smiled. "I'm pretty good at these, Aki."_

_Aki held her prize in disbelief – a golden-eyed grasshopper plush, and for some reason it was wearing a top hat. "I can't believe it...Hiromi, you're amazing!" Aki squealed and threw her arms around Hiromi's shoulders for a moment before hopping back to the controls. "Let's get another one!"_

* * *

><p><em>As the sun was setting, Hiromi and Aki walked home; Aki was trying not to drop any of her numerous prizes, and Hiromi was trying not to laugh. Nope, Aki was indeed not what she might have expected. That much was clear as Aki tried to keep the prize sitting on top from toppling over and landing in the dust. "This was fun," Hiromi said at last, cheeks tinting pink.<em>

_Aki paused in her little balancing act to look at Hiromi, grinning broadly. "Yeah, it was. Wanna do it again?"_

_"Wh-whaaa?!" Hiromi started. Whoa, straightforward!_

_"Well, it was fun, right?" Aki reached up and removed one of her toys. This seemed to be the reverse of the proverbial straw on the camel, as the pile in her arms was much less precarious. Smiling, she held the toy out to Hiromi; a large plush apple with a pink beret. "We should do it again. Is tomorrow okay?"_

_"U-Uhm...I h-have to volunteer at the library tomorrow..." Hiromi paused, swallowed nervously, and began again. "But...but the ne-next day. That's a good day."_

_"Great! Then we'll hang out in two days. Maybe not the arcade though; you can pick this time." With that, Aki quickly moved the apple towards Hiromi's face, mimicking a peck on the cheek. Then she tossed the toy into the flustered girl's hands, and jogged away. "G'bye, Hiromi! I'll see you at school!"_

_Hiromi watched Aki leave, weakly waving goodbye. "Y-yeah...bye..." she mumbled, then looked at the smiling apple. A small smile appeared on her own lips._

* * *

><p>"Did you get some?"<p>

"No, they ran out...Did you get some?"

"Uh huh!" A girl smiled and held her bag of candy out, a faint blush on her cheeks as she looked down at the ground. "U-Uhm...Daisuke, you can have mine if you like."

"Eh?" The boy, apparently named Daisuke, blinked. "After all that fuss in the store? How come?"

"W-Well...Y-You see..." The girl's blush intensified. "I think you're really great, and I wanted to buy some chocolate for _you_ anyway..."

Daisuke, picking up on her implications, turned red himself.

And meanwhile, in the air, someone was _seeing_ red as he stared down at the few people left after the rush. "Giving something away because you're in love? That's just idiotic..." Riche swiftly produced a marker from his pocket and drew two curling lines to form a heart, in mid-air. Then he swiped his arm diagonally, putting a slash through the heart. The symbol split into two and shot towards the boy and girl below, landing on their chests. As the two screamed in pain and then dropped to their knees, wailing bitterly, Riche chuckled under his breath. "Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world!"

* * *

><p>In a darkened mansion, a girl pressed her face to a window high above. She gasped in horror at the sight of the river blackening and frothing, lightning dancing over its surface.<p>

* * *

><p>Ti gasped and straightened up, his own eyes widening. "Sh-Shitsuren, datchu! It's Shitsuren, datchu!" he cried, tugging on Aki's sleeve.<p>

"Shitsuren?" Aki frowned briefly, then gasped as realization hit. "You mean like the girl from the other day?"

"She was one of them – that was Tamora! There's three more, and there's one attacking right now, datchu!" Ti cried anxiously, moving to tug on Hiromi's sleeve now.

Hiromi and Aki exchanged a look. "We're going!" Aki declared.

* * *

><p>Riche's chuckle turned into dark laughter as he watched the teenagers' despair. "Perfect! Whether or not I find Pretty Cure, I can still fill the river." His hand clenched into a fist, and a smirk appeared on his face. "The entire world will drown in sorrow!"<p>

"This is far enough!"

"That's right!"

"Hm?" Riche blinked, and looked a little further down the walk. There, glaring up at him, were two girls. Normally Riche would have just considered them extra sources for sorrow and heartbreak, but they had two very familiar fairies sitting on their shoulders. Which meant... "Ah, Pretty Cure! You're so prompt, I must congratulate you on that. Punctuality is a virtue, one that not a lot of young people seem to possess," he added, sounding a tad miffed at the last part.

"Oh, thank you very much – wait a second!" Hiromi cried. "Stop what you're doing!"

"These people came here to enjoy delicious chocolate! Chocolate hearts that symbolize love! How can you plunge them into heartbreak like that?" Aki demanded.

Riche's brow twitched. "Love? Such a deep emotion shouldn't be felt by the likes of you!" Swiftly, he uncapped his marker again, drew that same slashed heart symbol in the air, and hurled it down towards the bag of chocolate by the boy's knees. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on out, Usotsuki!"

In an instant, an Usotsuki stood where the chocolate once was. It retained its bag an ribbon shape, but the cheery pink was replaced with dark purple, the red ribbon now black. Long, black arms and legs of pure darkness emerged from the enlarged bag and ended in sharp claws. Glowing red eyes suddenly popped open, and a glowing red fanged mouth grinned at the two girls with cruel intent. **"Usotsukiii!"**

"Hiromi!" Aki cried.

Hiromi nodded, and clasped Aki's hand as Ti and Coffee leaped off their shoulders.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"**

The Usotsuki roared and swiped its clawed hands outward, not at Pretty Cure, but-

"Get them outta here!" Capulet shouted, but she needn't have. She and Montague both leaped out, each grabbing one of the teenagers and taking them to safety. Gently, they set the two down on a nearby bench, leaning against each other as they wept, blind and deaf to the world.

The Usotsuki let out a deafening shriek and thrust one of its noodle-like arms out to the bench. Pretty Cure gasped in horror, leaping in front of the bench to grab its hand and keep it from going any further.

"We've gotta get away from this spot!" Montague whispered harshly. "Or these guys'll be-"

"Usotsuki! Throw them sky-high!" Riche commanded.

**"USOKI-KIKIKIKI!"** The Usotsuki cackles madly, and swept its arm up high over its head. Cures Montague and Capulet didn't let go fast enough, and were tossed high into the air. Then just as they began their descent back down, the Usotsuki slammed its other arm into them, sending them both smashing to the ground before they had time to even scream.

It was their second battle. Only their second battle, and Pretty Cure seemed to be defeated, lying motionless in a large crater in the middle of the street.

"Pretty Cure, datchu! Pretty Cuuuure!" Ti screamed, tears of horror in his eyes.

"Prince, stay back!" Coffee yelled, lifting him up as the mouse fairy cycled his limbs.

"It can't happen again, datchu! It can't! Wake up, Pretty Cure! Please wake up!" he sobbed.

Riche stared for a beat, then chuckled. "Well. Clearly our dear Tamora was simply caught off-guard. I should apologize to her." He then pointed nearby, to the chocolate shop. "Usotsuki, that shop is a symbol of love! Destroy it now!"

Montague's hand twitched.

* * *

><p><em>"U-Uhm...Aki?"<em>

_"Hm?" Aki turned around to look at Hiromi._

_It was sunset, and the two were on their way home from another day at the arcade. This time they'd taken it easy on the crane games, as each of them only held a single toy – interestingly, the same ones they'd won the first time they'd played. Aki held the stuffed apple under her chin as she turned bodily around. Hiromi's face was red, something that didn't concern Aki too much. The troubled look on her face, however... "What's the matter, Hiromi?"_

_"I – I uhm..."_

* * *

><p>"Destroy it now!"<p>

**"Uso-!"**

_"Stop."_

**"-ki?"** The Usotsuki paused, turned its body towards the downed Cures.

Riche quirked an eyebrow as he saw the two girls shakily pushing themselves up. "You can still stand?" Then he blinked, a look of realization on his face, before covering his mouth with a hand. "Oh my – Don't tell me you're going to defend a _chocolate shop?_ Of all the absurd-"

"It's...an important place to us," rasped Capulet as she got back on her feet. Her head was bowed, bangs shadowing her eyes. "We can't..."

* * *

><p><em>"I..." Hiromi tapped her fingers against the top hat of her plush, shifting her eyes to look at the nearby bench, the road, the large window that showed assorted chocolates, everywhere but at Aki. Finally, she swallowed, inhaled a deep breath, and-<em>

* * *

><p><em>"We can't let you do this!"<em> both Cures roared, suddenly lifting their heads. Their eyes were gleaming in sudden ferocity, teeth bared. Letting out roars of anger, they charged towards the startled Usotsuki.

**"U-Uso-?!"** The Usotsuki threw its hands in front of itself, waved them frantically as it stared at the Cures with wide eyes.

Montague punched its hands aside with such force that the monster was sent skidding a few feet to the side. As it was regaining its footing, Montague locked her fingers together to form a foothold as Capulet leaped over her bowed head. She landed with the center of her foot in Montague's hands, and was immediately thrown upwards.

Capulet sailed high over the Usotsuki's head, and fell back down at top speed, one leg extended. "Capulet Kick!" she shouted, landing the blow right in the middle of the monster's forehead.

The Usotsuki crashed down the ground, sending up huge billowing clouds of dust and screeching in surprise and pain.

Riche was staring in wide-eyed shock. "Y-You really _are_ getting so fierce over a chocolate shop!"

"That's because-!" Montague answered without even looking at him. Instead, she raced forward to land a straight punch at the fallen Usotsuki's side.

"This shop-!" Capulet spun-kicked the Usotsuki as she fell back down to land beside Montague.

"This place..."

* * *

><p><em>"...I like you."<em>

_Aki turned red, gasping quietly. The other girl was smiling softly at her, pink blush coloring her cheeks, her eyes closed. "You...do?"_

_Hiromi nodded shyly, hugging her plush closer. "I do."_

_Aki turned even redder, looking off to the side and clearing her throat. "U-Uhm...I – I like you too." She smiled at the look of faint surprise on Hiromi's face. "As – As more than a friend."_

_"...Would you date me, Aki?"_

_Aki laughed quietly, hugging her own plush in absolute giddiness. "Yes!"_

* * *

><p><em>"...is important to us!"<em> the two Cures roared, clasping their hands and threading their fingers. Gold and purple light flashed and filtered between their fingers, and the Rapier Wands appeared in front of them. They grabbed their respective weapons with their free hands.

**"Pretty Cure Dual Heart Strike!"**

The attack blasted right through the Usotsuki as it was pulling itself back to its feet. It stiffened in pain, eyes going wide as it disintegrated and fell apart from the heart-shaped hole outward. **"U-Usotsu..."** was all it could say before it was destroyed.

Riche_ tsk'_d bitterly. "I will remember this," he growled quietly before teleporting away.

* * *

><p>Daisuke groaned, eyes fluttering open. "Mmm, wha...? Ah! Ikuko!" he cried, shaking the girl's shoulder. "Ikuko, wake up!"<p>

"Mmm?" Ikuko's eyes opened slowly, and she looked to Daisuke in tired confusion. "Daisuke? ...what were we doing-"

Both of them suddenly looked down between them. A bag of candy sat there, opened to show the chocolates inside. Both teens blushed faintly and lifted their heads to look into each others eyes.

* * *

><p>"I'm glad things worked out," Aki sighed, eating another chocolate.<p>

Hiromi laughed in embarrassment. "I didn't expect our date to end in a battle..."

"Unfortunately, that'll happen a lot, you two being Pretty Cure and all," Coffee offered, a bit sheepish herself.

"That was the _opposite_ of what I wanted to hear!" Hiromi cried, tearing up a little.

"But...if we're fighting for the sake of love and keeping people from heartbreak, I guess it's alright. Right, Hiromi?"

"Hmmm..."

* * *

><p>Riche rubbed the back of his neck as he entered the room he was in earlier.<p>

"Welcome home."

He opened his eyes, and saw Lady sitting there on the loveseat, her hands neatly folded in her lap. Beside her sat a tray with a pot of tea, two cups, and a small plate of cookies. Riche stared at the smile on his wife's face for a moment, before he sighed and smiled. "I'm home, my dear..."

* * *

><p>"Shylock!" screamed a depowered Cure Ariel, pounding on the door furiously. "Let me out of here! Let me out! You can't keep me here forever!" As she pounded, her hands started to burn, steam emitting from where they made contact with the door itself. But she paid it no mind, gritting her teeth through the pain and kicking the door for good measure. "You can't be alright with what you're doing! Let me out of here, this minute, Shylock!"<p>

Outside Cure Ariel's door, Shylock said nothing. He just leaned against the door, his head bowed as he listened to her shouting.

_A girl, clad in a long, flowing mint dress, her dark violet hair gently swaying in the wind, stood with her back to him. Her hands were clasped behind her back, and she suddenly turned around as if she sensed his presence. "Shylock~!" she called._

Shylock, his head still bowed, shoved himself away from the door and walked down the dark corridor, leaving Ariel and her shouting behind.

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Aki: "Hey, it's Miho! I haven't seen her in a long time!"

Hiromi: "A-Ah, she wants me to..."

Aki: "To what?"

Hiromi: "T-To be a model?! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'A Model, Me? Razor-Sharp Competition!' Let love heal your heart!"


	3. Chapter 3

OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo

* * *

><p>"I'm going!"<p>

"Hiromi, wait!"

"Huh?" Hiromi paused at the door, shoes in hand. "Yes?"

Her sisters stood in a row before the table in the hallway, looking at Hiromi expectantly.

"Oh! Right, of course, I'm sorry!" Hiromi dropped her schoolbag and went to join her sisters, at the end of the line. Once there, the bunch of them clasped their hands in front of their waists, looking at the photo atop the table.

It was a lady, with long black hair that was parted on the right, and fell in soft waves over her left shoulder. She was smiling, and even in the photograph her eyes had a twinkle to them – the girls could just _hear_ her joyful laughter as she splashed the photographer with ocean water, a few droplets landing on her white sundress.

"Good morning, Mom," the five of them said, and bowed.

As her sisters straightened, Hiromi remained where she was. "I'm going to school now."

* * *

><p>Hiromi jogged down the street, at a more leisurely pace than before. This time she'd made sure to leave the house on time, have a good breakfast, and now there was no <em>possible <em>way she'd be late meeting Aki! Nothing was going to stop her or distract her from-

"Hey! You there, hey!"

Hiromi stumbled outside a simple wooden gate, glancing around to see who'd just called out to her. At least...she thought they'd meant her.

"Yeah! You with the glasses, man!"

"Huh?"

Hiromi turned to look over the gate and into the yard beyond it. A girl was walking towards her, hands in her pockets. The odd thing was, she was around Hiromi's age, give or take a year, but she wasn't wearing a school uniform – not Chuushin High's, or any at all! The girl grinned, leaning over the top of the gate and looking Hiromi up and down. "Hmmm, yeah! How'd you like to be a model?"

Hiromi blinked. "Model...?"

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: A Model, Me? Razor-Sharp Competition!<p>

* * *

><p>"Ehhhh? You, a model?!"<p>

"M-Mirai, please don't be so loud..." Hiromi whispered, shrinking down further into her seat.

"I'm just so surprised, Hiromi! I mean – I had a premonition that something out of ordinary would happen today, but I didn't think it'd be _this!"_

"Hnnnnn..." Hiromi lay over her desk, her arms covering her head.

"A-Ah, sorry, Hiromi! I didn't mean to insult you like-"

"N-No, it's not that..."

"Eh?" Mirai blinked and tilted her head.

"You see..." Hiromi's eyes opened, revealing glistening tears. "What happened was..."

* * *

><p><em>"Model?"<em>

_"Yeah~!" The girl grinned and stepped back, holding up her fingers in a box shape as she surveyed Hiromi through the hole. "My cousin's makin' a new manga, you see, and she's having a little trouble coming up with the protagonist. But you've got the perfect look for the type of character she's looking for!"_

_"I ah..."_

_"So what I was thinkin' was," the girl went on, lowering her arms and propping her elbows on the gate. "You could come over after you get outta school and model for us? Just let my cousin get your likeness?"_

_"U-Uhm..."_

_"Hm?" The girl kept smiling, staring expectantly._

_"I-I uhm...I guess it's-"_

_"Great!" The girl straightened and clapped a hand on Hiromi's shoulder. "See you after school, yeah?~"_

* * *

><p>"I wanted to say 'I guess it's a small favor,' but then she thought..." Hiromi sniffled. "A-And now I'm gonna be a model, and..."<p>

"And...?"

Hiromi suddenly sat up straight, her eyes wide and watering with unshed tears. Her lips quivered as she grabbed at her neck ribbon. "A-And then-!"

_Aki clutched at her chest as she leaned against a wall, looking away from Hiromi. "You've become a model, Hiromi?"_

_"I-It was only for a day, Aki!"_

_"But everyone knows you're a model now! And all these shoujo manga artists want to draw you!" Aki gestured to a crowd of people holding papers, pens and ink, and a few shoujo manga magazines. "And look at all your admirers!" she declared, sweeping her hand back to Hiromi, behind which another huge crowd had gathered with love letters and candy._

_"You're so much better than I am, Hiromi...How could a popular and cute model want a simple girl like me, especially when you've got idols and millionaires and theme park tycoons asking to date you?" Aki sobbed once, covered her face, and ran down another hallway. "I'll let you go, Hiromi! Find a partner more worthy of you, but don't forget me!"_

_"Aki, wait! You're the only one that I want!" Hiromi sobbed._

"Noooooooo, I don't want thaaaaaat!" the real Hiromi wailed before slamming her head back onto her desk to loudly cry.

Mirai just stared, blinking slowly. After a moment, she reached out to tentatively pat Hiromi's head. "...there, there?"

Up near the front, Aki blinked and turned around, frowning lightly at Hiromi. What was Hiromi thinking about _this_ time...?

"O-kay, everyone!" Mrs Matoko strode in, firmly setting down her stack of papers. "Let's start by passing back last week's English quizzes..."

Aki reluctantly faced forward as Hiromi sniffled on her desk top.

* * *

><p>"Fwaaaaaaaaah!" Tamora yawned loudly as she lay in a large easy chair...the entirely wrong way. Her head facing the floor, her legs propped against the backrest, she sighed and clasped her hands over her stomach. "Bored bored bored..."<p>

"You mustn't sit so, Tamora," Lady said, setting down a tea tray. "A lady must sit properly." As if to demonstrate, she swept her skirts about herself as she gracefully settled onto the loveseat. She moved to take a teacup and raised the drink to her lips, her other hand primly holding the saucer in her lap. After a quiet drink, she replaced the cup in the saucer and smiled, eyes closed as always. "You're a lovely girl, Tamora, you should really act like one."

Tamora, who'd been making a face at Lady's demonstration, snorted and kicked the chair. "Man, I can't be a girl like _you_. Besides, I'm totally cute the way I am~! Isn't that right, Riche?" she chirped just as the man entered the room.

"I will decline to comment," he muttered dryly as he took a seat beside his wife.

"Whaaaa? How rude! Well, Shylock thinks I'm cute!"

"I doubt it." Riche casually took some tea.

Tamora frowned, puffing her cheeks out, and swung her legs to the side, vaulting herself over the arm of the chair. Landing on her feet, she stood straight and glared at the man, still pouting. "I _am_ cute!"

"M-hm."

"Totally cute cute cute!" Tamora stomped for emphasis. "I'm so cute...I – I could be a model!"

"Tamora, if you can find me one person who wants you to be a model, I will admit you are 'cute as a button,' as they call it," Riche sighed, pressing his fingers to his temple.

"Yeah? Well, fine! You'll see I'm super-duper cute, no matter how I sit or act!" Tamora said. And with that, she turned on her heel and stalked out the door.

Lady and Riche were silent as they watched her go.

"Well, that should keep her occupied for a time," said Riche, as he reached over to rest an arm around Lady's shoulders and pull her close.

* * *

><p>The school bell rang, and the students began to filter out of their classrooms.<p>

Aki paused in putting her homework in her bag, and looked over her shoulder towards the door. For a moment, she locked eyes with Hiromi – and then Hiromi squeaked and darted out of the room. "Hiromi...what's going on?" she whispered to herself.

Well, perhaps not entirely to herself.

"Hiromi's being weird today!" Coffee said quietly, poking her head out of Aki's bag.

"Is something the matter again, datchu?" asked Ti.

"Mm. Something is..." Aki frowned, looking at the two fairies. "Y'see, when we met at the tree today..."

* * *

><p><em>"A-Aki..."<em>

_"Hiromi~!" Aki laughed, pushing herself off the tree's trunk. "You're a little late; did you miss the 'walk' signals-"_

_"U-Uhm..."_

_"Hm?" Aki's smile vanished, replaced by a look of confused curiosity. "Hey...'s'wrong?"_

_Hiromi was cluthing her schoolbag like a lifeline, holding it in front of her chest. She stared at Aki with large, tearful eyes, hicupping a little before she hastily bowed. "I-I have to be somewhere after school today but it won't be long at all and not permanent and don't think ill of me Aki I promise you'll never not be good enough for me if anything you're the one too good for me okay I'll see you tomorrow!" And with that she ran for the stairs._

_"Huh? Hey, Hiromi, what was that about? Hiromiiii!"_

* * *

><p>"Sure, she can worry a lot, and she panics over nearly everything, and she can be so melodramatic but...Well, I can't think of what could possibly have set it off today."<p>

"Are you gonna follow her to find out, Aki?"

"Whaaaa? No way!" Aki waved a hand dismissively, looping her schoolbag's long strap around her neck and shoulder. "I mean, Hiromi's upset yeah, but...it's clearly nothing serious, like I said, she does this all the time. And she said it'll be fine tomorrow, so that's when I'll learn what it is. Then we can just talk about it if she wants to, and that's the end of it.  
>I trust Hiromi...I'm not gonna stalk her or anything because she's being weird."<p>

She left the classroom, passing a large window. Down below, one could see Hiromi walking down the stairs leading to the road. "It's nothing to worry about."

* * *

><p>Hiromi stood at the door, schoolbag held in front of herself like a shield. She swallowed nervously, and lifted a trembling finger to the doorbell.<p>

_Bing-bong~!_

Almost immediately, the door swung open, and the girl from earlier was beaming at her. "Hey! You made it! C'mon in, c'mon in!"

"W-Wait, I — ah!" Hiromi squeaked as she was pulled inside, and the girl shut the door.

"You can just leave your shoes in the hall, okay?" The redheaded girl let go of Hiromi's arm, still smiling, and looked her up and down again. "You know, I didn't expect you to come in your uniform. I figured you might go home and change first."

"A-Ah, should I have?" Hiromi whispered, feeling even more self-conscious than she already had been. The other girl still wasn't wearing a uniform either. She had a cream-colored tunic with a wide brown belt over tan leggings. Over that, she wore a pale yellow sweater, hanging open like a jacket. She definitely looked more comfortable and carefree than Hiromi did. "I know it's a modeling thing but-"

"Nah, nah, don't worry about it~" the girl interrupted, waving her hand. "You look fine. Besides, it's just your likeness and your expressions. We don't need you in fancy clothes or trendy stuff. And you don't have to do anything special with your hair, either!" the girl laughed suddenly and pointed to her own hair. Her rust-red hair had been gathered into two buns at either side of her head, and her bangs swept off to the side over her forehead. Just as they had been this morning... Hiromi frowned a little. No uniform, and she hadn't changed her outfit at all...

"So! My cousin's in the den. She'll probably want to serve us a snack first. Oh." As she lead Hiromi down the small hallway, the girl looked over her shoulder. "I'm Miho, by the way! Miho Sakura. What's your name?"

"Hiromi Satou..."

"Well, again, it's great to meetcha, Hiromi!" Miho beamed and clasped Hiromi's hand.

* * *

><p>Miho had been right. Her cousin did want to serve them a snack.<p>

Hiromi sat at a low table, schoolbag beside her, happily partaking in home-made cookies and pineapple juice.

"I'm sorry it's all I can offer," 24-year-old Nana Sakura said with an apologetic smile. "But I was so busy with the script I didn't have any time to prepare tea, and Miho still hasn't bought the milk."

"Ahahaaaa, my bad~" Miho scratched the back of her head, smiling awkwardly.

Hiromi shook her head. "N-No no, it's fine! Really, I love pineapple juice! And these cookies taste wonderful!"

"Oh, thank you! It's a family recipe. I'd share it, but you're not family," Nana laughed.

She then leaned on her elbows over a sketchpad, and grabbed a sharpened pencil from behind her ear. Giving the pencil a quick twirl between her fingers, she started to hastily scratch out some lines as she talked to Hiromi. "I'm sorry for my cousin, by the way. Her forwardness must have been kind of creepy, right?"

"Hm-m, no-"

"There's no need to sugarcoat it, Miss Satou."

"W-Well maybe it was a little bit..." Hiromi admitted with an awkward smile.

All three girls laughed.

"Uh...by the way, what kind of story are you drawing?" asked Hiromi after she'd calmed down.

Nana smiled, adding one more line. On the paper was a girl who looked remarkably like Hiromi, save for a few subtle differences, such as her hair texture and the shape of her eyes. "Well, it's a love story..."

* * *

><p>"I'm home~" Aki called out, stepping through the door.<p>

Emma and a dark-haired man in a dinner suit bowed. "Welcome home, young miss~"

_"...between a wealthy noble from a magical kingdom, and a young schoolgirl from our world. They meet under ordinary circumstances..."_

Aki flopped backwards onto her bed, arms outstretched. With a contented smile, she glanced over at the bulletin board on the nearby wall.

There were tons of pictures on it; Aki in her school uniform on the first day of high school, Aki and her parents at the fair, Aki and some of her various friends...But the picture she focused on was the one from the photo booth.  
>A string of three photos, the same pose and same smiles. Aki and Hiromi stood before the camera, arms linked, both making V-signs and smiling broadly. They'd chosen rainbows and bubble as a border, and a pink "Awesome!" was in the top right corner.<p>

Aki's smile softened a bit, looking more affectionate.

"_They become friends, and eventually fall in love."_

* * *

><p>Lady bent over her tray of tea and snacks, idly arranging the cookies into a more pleasing appearance. Suddenly, as if alerted by some strange sixth sense, she blinked, and lifted her head to look towards the loveseat by the window.<p>

Shylock sat there, leaning against the glass and staring out at the falls.

_"But it seems as if both the human world and magical land are against their union. Various forces try to separate them, there are multiple attempts on their lives, and it really looks as if fate is against them. And they wonder, how could fate be so cruel as to have them meet, only to do everything it can to force them apart again? Maybe it would have been better if they'd **never** met."_

His eyes closed.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>  
><em>Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

* * *

><p>Hiromi sat at her desk the next day, nervously tapping her fingers against the top of it. It was lunchtime, and everyone else was eating but-<p>

"Wow, Hiromi, you really went to town!"

Hiromi jumped and nearly fell out of her seat. "A-Aki!"

Aki stood over her, staring in amazement at her empty, clean bento. "I mean, lunch just started two minutes ago...I haven't even started eating yet." Her brows lowered and her expression softened a bit. She turned her attention back to Hiromi, and reached out for her hand. "Hiromi, come with me."

A few others looked up in time to see the two of them leaving. "Hey, what's Aki want with Satou?"

"Beats me..."

* * *

><p>A short time later, Aki and Hiromi sat on an empty staircase, side-by-side. Aki rested her hands on her knees, and leaned forward a bit to look at Hiromi's profile better. Her girlfriend was just staring at her shoes, toying with the hem of her skirt and not saying anything. This would never do!<p>

"...say, Hiromi?"

"Huh?"

"When I was five, I broke Grandpa's glass rose." She smiled a little, and faced forward. "It was really pretty too, and really big. It was just this giant blossom, just started to bloom and open up. It had a few leaves on the bottom that let it stand upright...Grandpa said it was one of the last presents Grandma gave him before her memory went away. And I was just playing with my trains, lifting them up and spinning around because they were picked up by a tornado – ah, anyway, I got dizzy and crashed into the shelves, and the rose fell off and smashed into three pieces on the carpet.

"I was so sure I'd be punished, and that Grandpa would hate me, so I cried and cried until I was sick. And I ran to my room to pack up my schoolbag and run away. But Grandpa caught me as I was trying to climb out the window."

Her smile turned a little wistful. "I had thought I'd be caught and get a spanking if I went out the door, so I figured the window would be safer. But my room was on the second floor. Grandpa caught me just as I was stepping onto the roof below it, and he pulled me back inside. He's really strong, even in his advanced age.  
>The first thing he did was scold me, but he never raised his voice and it wasn't because of the rose. He just told me that I could have been badly hurt doing that, and not to ever, ever do that again. And then he hugged me and just thanked God he'd come into my room in time. Then after we calmed down, he talked about the rose.<br>It wasn't a big deal. He'd been a little sad to see it broken, but he could fix it. And it wasn't broken _too_ badly, and he knew it was an accident and that I felt awful already.  
>We fixed the rose together, in the den, on some newspaper.<p>

"He kept telling me that it was okay, it really was. It wasn't as bad as I'd thought, and I'd imagined everything would be far worse than it really was."

Aki looked over at Hiromi. "So...you know, Hiromi, if there's something you want to talk about, or if you're hiding something...You don't have to worry about it like this. If you want to tell me, you can, it probably isn't as bad as you think."

Hiromi blinked, then looked down at her lap again. "I – I uhm..."

* * *

><p>"...And they've asked me to come back today too! Just one more time," Hiromi finished in a rush. She went silent, and nervously looked over at Aki.<p>

To her surprise, Aki was just smiling. "Oh, is that all?"

"I-Is that all?!" Hiromi sputtered. "You're...you're not angry?"

"Why would I be?"

"B-because...i-it was a _modeling_ job, sorta, and I was so sure you'd want to break up and...and that you'd be mad I was hiding it from you and..."

Aki laughed kindly and rubbed one of her shoulders. "Hiromi, you didn't have to hide that! I'm not upset or anything. Really it's pretty cool that someone asked you to model for a manga!" Her eyes lit up. "Ohhhh, can I come too?!"

"Us too, us too!" Coffee cheered from Aki's bag.

"Please, datchu?"

Hiromi blinked, then turned pink as she looked away. "I – I guess it'd be okay? Miho and Nana are really nice, so I'm sure it'd be okay-"

"Woohoo! I'm dating a model and get to see her at work~!" Aki cheered, throwing her hands in the air.

"A-Aki!"

* * *

><p>Tamora muttered angrily to herself as she walked down the street, away from the shopping area and closer to the residential. "Totally cute...cute as buttons..." she grumbled.<p>

"Ah, you're here!"

Tamora stopped in her tracks and turned her head towards the sound.

Two redheads were standing in the large front yard, one of them holding a sketchbook. They were both grinning at two very familiar-looking girls. _Pretty Cure?!_ Tamora thought.

"Oh, you brought a friend?" the taller redhead said with a smile. "She's cute too!"

Tamora grit her teeth.

"Okay, so let's go inside, and you can finish modeling for-"

_"Modeling?!"_ Tamora shrieked suddenly, stomping her foot. The other four jumped and looked at her in surprise. "I should be a model too!"

The taller redhead looked apologetic. "Er – I'm sorry, Miss, you look nice and all but I already-"

"I'm way cuter than those two!"

"But...well, you are cute, sweetie, but I don't think you've got the right look for...If you want, I can make you a background character but-"

Tamora grabbed her hair and screeched. "No way! No way, no way, no way! I'm super-duper cute, a million times cuter than bobbles over there, and I'm way too cute to be a background character! Gyaaaaah!"

Suddenly, Tamora whipped out a marker and uncapped it. Ignoring the confused and startled looks from the redheads, she drew two curling lines to form a heart in mid-air, and slashed a line through it. Another sweep of her arm, and the symbol became two, and shot towards Miho and Nana.

"Miho!" screamed Nana, shoving her younger cousin aside. But it was too late. Despite the sudden attempt to save her, both girls were struck in the chest, and screamed in agony.

"Nana! Miho!" Hiromi shrieked, dropping to her knees as the other two did.

Nana's sketchbook fell from her hands as she tilted her head back and sobbed uncontrollably, her chest heaving as the crying affected her ability to breathe. A dark aura appeared around her, flaring in time to her sobs. Torrents of tears rolled down her cheeks, over her lips, but she didn't seem to notice, her cries growing louder.  
>Beside her, Miho was experiencing the same thing, except she'd fallen to her hands and knees, her tears falling into the grass below her.<p>

Tamora just giggled and raised her arms into the air. "Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world~!"

By Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, something like black lightning dancing over it.

"Miho! Nana!" Hiromi cried, rubbing the sobbing Miho's back.

"It serves them right!" Tamora pouted. "They should've picked me to model."

"They don't even know you and Nana didn't even know you existed when I was asked!" Hiromi said, face turning red. "And you're doing this to them over not being sketched? They offered to draw you too!"

"Oh, shut up, Pretty Cure!" Tamora glared and drew another symbol in the air, and flung it at the fallen sketchbook. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on out, Usotsuki!"

The sketchbook flashed purple, and then an Usotsuki stood in its place, towering over the four humans. It was opened, with a few pages folded back over the binding like hair. Long, black arms and legs dripped ink onto the lawn, and the same red eyes and cruel smile appeared. "Usooo!"

"Aki!" Hiromi cried.

"Right!"

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**  
><strong>"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"<strong>  
><strong>"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"<strong>  
><strong>"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"<strong>

"I'll get you today, Pretty Cure! Usotsuki, go!" Tamora commanded from her place on the road.

"Uso-tsukiii!" the monster screeched, and flung its arms out in front of itself like whips.

Capulet and Montague swiftly grabbed their crying friends and jumped aside. Capulet gently set Miho in the doorway, under the small roof, as Montague leaned Nana against her. Then, in the blink of an eye, they both planted one foot against the wall, and launched themselves backwards. Flying into the air, they both did a backwards flip and fell towards the Usotsuki, one leg extended.

"Capulet Kick!"

"Montague Kick!"

"Uuuu-so~!" The Usotsuki made a noise that sounded a lot like a gurgling laugh, and flung an arm out-

-and thick black ooze flung out of it.

"What the—gyah!" Montague cried, one of the blobs striking her. Its momentum kept her going, until she found herself stuck against a nearby phone pole. "Nngh! What the...?!" she gasped, struggling against the goo. She grit her teeth, strained...and nothing happened.

"Usosososo~!" the monster laughed, pointing at the helpless Montague.

"You missed _me!"_ Capulet shouted, landing her kick at the Usotsuki. The monster's laughter was abruptly cut off, becoming a quick cry of pain as Capulet performed another, tight backflip, and kicked it between the eyes and sent it skidding into the street.

Capulet landed on the walk leading to the front door, and looked up at Montague. "Montague, are you okay?!" she cried.

Montague struggled a bit more. "Capulet! Don't let this stuff hit you! I'll be out in a sec, just hang on!" She strained to free her arms, gritting her teeth so hard it hurt. "Hnnngh...this stuff's drying already!"

Capulet stared up at Montague for a moment, then blinked and gasped faintly. She had heard a low groan a little ways in front of her, and quickly looked forward to see the Usotsuki getting back to its feet.

"Uso~ki!" It flung an arm out again, sending more ink blobs towards Capulet.

Capulet gasped in alarm and hastily leaped out of the way.

"Forget it, Cure Capulet!" called Tamora. "Montague's gonna dry up, and you definitely can't do this all by yourself~!"

"What...?" Capulet mumbled, taken aback.

"Well, it's obvious, right?" Tamora giggled. "Two Cures may be super-strong, but you? You guys can only transform together, and attack together, and your hearts are all synced up...But you're useless when separated. This'll be easy, so just stand still and let my Usotsuki get you."

"Hey!" Montague shouted suddenly, her face redder than before. "Capulet's not weak or useless, so shut up right now! Don't bully her!"

"Oh, come on~ She can't even move, see?" Tamora pointed to Capulet, who just stood there, trembling slightly. The Usotsuki was staring her down, chortling to itself with its hands over its mouth. "She talked big earlier, and you guys both destroyed two Usotsuki already, but on her own she's a big wimpy coward!"

"That's not true!" Montague roared.

Capulet blinked. "E-Eh?"

"Uso?"

"Wha?"

Montague glared down at Tamora and the Usotsuki, teeth grit angrily, tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. A few dripped down to the street below, but she paid them no mind. "Capulet's no coward! She's not useless either! Hiromi told me about something she was so sure I'd be furious about, and that took a lot of guts! She was scared I'd break up with her, but she told me anyway! And I was super-proud of her for it!  
>And you know what else? Three times now, she's gone up against one of these monsters without complaint! She's helping Ti and Coffee save their world! She was the first one to say 'I like you' in our relationship and that takes a lot of courage too!"<p>

"...Montague..." Capulet whispered.

"She's got way more courage and internal strength than you think she does – it took guts to say she likes me, it took guts to say she was hiding something from me, it took guts to tell the truth...So don't you call her a coward! Don't you _dare!"_

"Montague..." Capulet's eyes grew shiny with unshed tears.

"Ugh, your voice is so annoying right now!" Tamora grumbled. "Usotsuki, leave Capulet for now..." She grinned and pointed up at the trapped Montague. "And cover her head! Suffocate the Cure and get rid of her!"

"Usooo-**ki?!"**The Usotsuki was suddenly slammed to the side, arms trailing limply in the air. "K-Ki?!"

Everything seemed to move in slow-motion. Capulet was right there at the Usotsuki's side, her fist pressing deep into it, her head bowed so her eyes were shadowed. As the monster looked in disbelief, she slowly lifted her head up to reveal a hate-filled glare.

_"...leave my girlfriend alone."_

And then time sped back to normal. The Usotsuki screeched and was sent crashing against a stone wall, one of its inky arms smacking into it. It growled angrily, moved to fling it out and-

-snapped back. "Ki?"

"U-Usotsuki, what's wrong?" Tamora gasped.

The Usotsuki struggled a bit more, eyes wide, but it couldn't move the arm that was against the wall. It had stuck, and quickly dried.

Capulet glared and leaped forward again, landing on its face, right between the eyes and mouth. The Usotsuki raised its free arm to crush her like a fly...and then Capulet leaped back into the air in the nick of time. The Usotsuki's arm was stuck to its face now and, as it struggled and roared in anger, it wasn't going to be free anytime soon.

"Time to end this!" Capulet declared, hovering in the air above it.

She clapped her hands together, a pink glowing heart materializing between them as she pulled them apart. Swirls of gold sparkles were pulled inside it, and the faint sound of chimes could be heard as Capulet closed her eyes. **"Sound of the Bells!"** The light burst outward to reveal her Rapier Wand. **"Sword of the Capulet Family!"** She reached out to take it in hand, and drew a large, sparkling gold heart outline in the air, pink light flowing into it. **"Pretty Cure...Glorious Golden ..."** She thrust her sword out, sending the heart out at the Usotsuki. **"Shoot!"**

The Usotsuki's eyes widened in horror as the attack shot straight for it. "Usooo-!" The attack struck its chest and expanded to cover its whole body in a warm gold glow. The monster's eyes grew even wider, weakly mumbling "U-usotsuki..." as it disintegrated.

The ink that had landed on the ground vanished, as did the ink that kept Montague trapped against the phone pole. She fell towards the ground, landing on her feet and staring at Capulet.

Tamora just gaped, then stomped her foot and pouted. "W-Well, fine, so you're not a useless wimp. I'm still way cuter anyway!" And then she was gone.

Capulet blinked as she felt someone touch her shoulder, and turned to see Montague smiling at her. "M-Montague..."

Montague grinned with her teeth showing. "That's my girl~"

Capulet blushed, smiling sheepishly.

* * *

><p>Later, Miho set down a tray of more cookies before Aki, the latter helping herself gladly. Nearby, Hiromi was standing and looking at a wall, her hands smoothing over her hair. "U-Uhm, are you sure this is the pose you want?"<p>

Nana frowned. "Hmmm...no, that's not it either..." She sighed, lowering her pencil. "I need a good, cute pose, and it's a little hard to find one."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault!" Miho laughed. "Nana's probably just a little out of it from that dizzy spell outside. Hm...I wonder if there's something in the air?" she frowned. "Since I got it too..."

"Of course it's not Hiromi's fault~!" laughed Aki, a little too loudly. She subtly dropped two cookies into her schoolbag, which Ti and Coffee ate joyfully, and then stood up to run to Hiromi. She grinned, throwing her arms around Hiromi's shoulders and nuzzling her. "Hiromi's super-super-cute, so it definitely can't be her fault~"

"A-Aki!" Hiromi sputtered, turning red.

"It's true though!" she laughed, tickling her a little.

Hiromi laughed, more out of joy than being tickled, and tilted her head to bump against Aki's. "A-Aki, stop, you're embarrassing me!"

"It's truuuee~!"

Nana just smiled, lifting her pencil away from the sketchpad. In front of her was a quick pencil sketch of her protagonist, eyes closed and mouth open in the very image of delight, her head tilted slightly. "Yeah, this is perfect..."

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<br>Aki: "You know, we still don't know anything about who these people are, what they want, where you guys came from..."  
>Hiromi: "That's right! We need to know more!"<br>Coffee: "Ohhh, I knew I was forgetting something!"  
>Coffee: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Why We Fight! For Our Love!' Let love heal your heart!"<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

_Everyone was supposed to be asleep at this time of night. The moon was high in the sky, which was a dark blue-velvet, with no one awake to appreciate it._

_No one save for one young man, that was._

_Shylock held his scarf closer against the chilly air, walking the familiar path he'd laid out. Go through the forest. Hop over this stream. Climb the footholds in the hillside and-_

_Shylock suddenly froze when he reached the top, breath catching in his throat._

_The figure standing at the cliff side seemed to sense him, for he saw their shoulders tense for a second before they turned to look at him._

"_Oh. I didn't think anyone else knew about this place."_

_Shylock just stared. _

"_I'm sorry. I should go, shouldn't I? It's your secret place, after all." The person turned fully, and started to walk towards him to go back down the hill._

"_Wait." Without thinking, he grabbed their sleeve. The person stopped, but they didn't seem angry, or put off. Shylock took that as minor encouragement. "You've found it. You can keep it if you want." And then just as he was preparing to go down..._

_She grabbed his wrist. "How about we _share _this spot?"_

_Moments later, they stood side by side, staring up at the moon and the stars – more stars gathered in one place than either had ever seen before. One star briefly shot across the sky as they watched._

"_Were you the one who made the trail? The one through the bushes?" the girl asked._

_Shylock nodded. "I suppose you were the one who dug the footholds that just appeared one day."_

_She nodded, smiling faintly. "Looks like we really should share this, hm?" Suddenly she let out a small laugh. "Oh, my. Here we are, sharing a secret spot, and I don't even know your name yet."_

"_...Shylock. It's Shylock."_

"_Lovely to meet you, Shylock...My name's..."_

Shylock's eyes opened. He was lying on his back on the loveseat, one leg bent at the knee, one hand on his stomach. He blinked lazily, still facing the ceiling.

"...Otome..."

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"And here's the sandwiches Emma made..."<p>

"Uwaaaah~!" Coffee's eyes shone brightly.

Aki grinned, moving her index finger a little to the left. "And over there's the cookies Sebastian made..."

"Aaaaah~"

"And here's some of the leftover chocolates..."

"_Uwaaaaaaaa~!"_

"And this is my personal favorite – triple chocolate cupcakes!"

Coffee squealed her loudest yet, covering her face and doing a strange 'shimmy-dance' before she lunged for the cupcake in Aki's palm. But at the last second, Aki smiled and held the cupcake high over her head. "Ah-ah-ah~ There's a little thing you gotta do to get this cupcake...or any other treats here~"

"Whaaaa?" Coffee blinked, her joyful expression immediately turning into one of shock. "What? What what _what?!"_

Aki grinned. "You gotta tell us the whooooole story of where you guys came from, what's up with the rings, and the bad guys...all of it. Then, and only then, will you get this delicious cupcake."

Hiromi sat off to the side on the picnic blanket, holding Ti in her cupped hands. Both were staring with deadpan expressions at Aki. "...I want cupcakes too, datchu."

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: 'Why We Fight! For Our Love!'<p>

* * *

><p>"Alright." Coffee cleared her throat, trying to look as dignified as possible as Aki set the chocolate confectionery down between them.<p>

The four of them were in a nearby park, seated on a small blanket spread out under a tree. It was still early morning, the sky a hazy and soft pink-purple. Sure, it was a little chilly, but that was fine! Sometimes it was nice to just sit back and enjoy an early morning, before everyone else. Hiromi shifted a bit, scooting closer to Aki.

"Now then...I, Coffee, am employed by the royal family of Kokoro, and it is my sworn duty to protect the young Crown Prince. That'd be Ti, over there," she added, gesturing at the little fairy.

"Coffee, what's so special about Kokoro exactly?" Aki asked, leaning forward like a little kid in story-circle.

"Kokoro's _very_ special, datchu!" Ti chimed in suddenly. A dreamy smile appeared on his face as he went on. "Th-there's lots of pretty flowers, and the sky's the prettiest blue I've ever seen, and the castle is so pretty...And there's the festivals, and the flower-watching nights, and everything feels so happy, datchu."

His smile faded, replaced by a melancholy look that didn't fit his young age. Slowly, he looked down, shoulders slumping. "And Cure Ariel protected us all, datchu..."

* * *

><p>"Your Highness!"<p>

"Your Highness, where are you?!"

"Where could he have gone?"

Prince Ti giggled quietly to himself, hiding amongst some large, flowering bushes. The royal tutors didn't seem to notice him, too busy frantically running this way and that, urgency reflected in their eyes, the way they held their limbs.

"He knows that he has an important history exam today!"

"It's not like the young prince to wander off!"

No, indeed it was not.

"Oh, and on this day, of all of them!"

And yes, this was why he'd chosen to skip out on his lessons today.

Today was a _special_ day. And gosh darn it, there was no way he was going to stay inside a stuffy old room with boring books and parchment, when he could be outside, having fun!

"Ah, Cure Ariel!"

Ti stiffened, a choked gasp escaping him as he sensed someone right behind him. Almost afraid to look, he slowly peered over his shoulder and up. There, right behind him, her hands clasped demurely in front of herself, was the famed Cure Ariel herself.

The aqua Cure smiled gently up at the tutors. "Yes, is there something wrong?"

"Yes! Indeed there is!" cried one man, wringing his hands. "Prince Ti has gone missing! And he has a history test today! He can't miss a test!"

"Oh, my! Indeed he can't," said Cure Ariel, her eyes growing wide and a hand coming to cover her mouth in shock. "Well, don't worry, Takawa. I'll find him, and he'll be quite safe with me."

Ti started to back away nervously, wondering if, if he could just run fast enough, he'd be able to escape from a Pretty Cure.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, very! Don't worry. I'll find him."

"If you're sure..." the balding man mumbled, wringing his hands one more time before bowing, and then leaving with the other tutors.

Ariel smiled still, waving goodbye. And then, after a moment of holding that pose, she suddenly crouched down, her smile looking a little more mischievous as she looked directly at Ti. "Well. Playing hooky, aren't we, Your Highness?"

Ti froze, sweating a bit. "D-Datchu..." he squeaked weakly.

Ariel scooped him up in her hands and held him at face-level. "So, since you're already out...shall we enjoy today's festivities? I assure you, you're quite safe with me," she added with a wink.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Cure Ariel!"<p>

"Good morning," she called back with a smile.

"Cure Ariel! How nice to see you!"

"Likewise, sir!"

Cure Ariel walked through the kingdom, her high heels making satisfying clicks against the brick ground. The main square was full of people, many off to the side and hanging up decorations and lights. They all greeted Ariel as she passed, and received a greeting in return.

Hidden in the ribbon on her chest, Ti took in as many sights as he could, his eyes wide and sparkling. Oh, he'd seen this from his window several times, from a distance. But it was nothing to seeing it being set up. It gave a sort of...familiar feeling, of sorts, to see something being prepared instead of just looking at the final product.

"Ah! Granny, please..." Ariel started forward, causing Ti to let out a small squeak and duck back into her chest-ribbon.

An elderly woman was about to climb onto a small stepping stool, bright ribbons in her hands. She looked over at Ariel as the girl jogged up to her and gently took the ribbons. "Granny, it's too dangerous for you to do that – you know what the doctor said. Let me handle that, please."

A few minutes later, the lamp-post before them was sporting bright pink and blue ribbons at the base of the lamp, criss-crossing all the way down to the bottom. Cure Ariel knelt down and secured the ribbons' ends to each other with a pin, then stood and nodded her satisfaction. "There."

"Oh, thank you, Ariel, dear," the elderly woman said with a small chuckle.

"It was no trouble, Granny. Do you need any more help?"

"No, no, dear, that was all my grandson would allow me to do for decorating. He's a bit like you, it seems. All that's left is to go to the market for the cake tonight, and that will be all."

"Do you need my help with-"

"Oh, dear, no, you've helped enough! Enjoy the festivities, dear, you work too hard!"

Ariel laughed as she walked off, waving goodbye to the old woman as she walked further into the square. "See, Ti, I'm not sure if you've seen those up close, but the ribbons catch the light when we light the lamps. There are some small crystals woven into it to create a shimmery effect too. I can't wait for you to see up close!"

Ti poked his head out again, blinking up at Ariel. "Hey, Cure Ariel? How come you're doing this, datchu?" he whispered.

Ariel's smile softened. "Because I think you deserve to see the festival of love up close, Your Highness." At his surprised squeak, she carefully took him out of hiding and held him in her cupped hands, closer to her face. "You've only seen it from the window, haven't you? I saw you last year..."

_Prince Ti stood on a windowsill, pressed against the glass. He stared out at the bright lights below, the largest one glowing in the middle of the town square._

_Behind him, Cure Ariel stood in the doorway, brows tilted downward._

"The royal family of Kokoro has a lot of responsibility. But that doesn't mean you should miss out on one of the best nights of the year, Your Highness," Cure Ariel said. "It's especially unfair of them to expect you to take lessons on this day...

So I'm letting you enjoy the festivities with me tonight, and then tomorrow, after your birthday party, I'll talk to your parents about allowing you to enjoy it on your own, okay?"

Ti's eyes were shimmering as he nodded. "O-Okay, datchu..." he whispered.

Ariel chuckled quietly and kissed him on the nose.

"Now then...let's go, Your Highness! You're going to enjoy this!"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Indeed he did, too! He perched on Ariel's shoulder as she walked all around the festival areas.<p>

They had first gone to a waffle vender, Ariel sharing her chocolate-strawberry one and Ti sharing his cinnamon-brown sugar.

Next was the maypole; Ariel walked around with Ti held the ribbon. The laughter of the people seemed to flow all around him, and he couldn't help but join in.

There was a tent for people to make simple jewelry for those they loved. Ti held up a bracelet as big as he was, a gold heart charm dangling in the center. "This is for Mama!" he cheerfully declared. "Hm? Who's that for, datchu?"

Cure Ariel was putting the finishing touches on a necklace. It was a loop of cream-colored seed beads, with two larger, burgundy beads in the middle, and a large, bright gold heart. Next to her was another just like it, but the burgundy beads were a soft aqua green.

She smiled fondly. "It's a present for someone special."

As the sun slowly started to go down and turn the sky orange and red, they enjoyed the rest of the festivities. A ball-tossing game, pink ice-cream, joining in a small crowd singing about a warrior whose heart was his greatest weapon and greatest weakness. Ariel helped more people light the lanterns as the sky turned to a dusky purple. She helped a small group of children make paper boats, little pink and white candles inside. Ariel had laughed when Ti himself sat in one to drift downstream.

Finally, it was truly nightfall, and the air was getting chilly. "To the square, everyone!" someone called, and the throng of people started to move from their tents and stalls, and towards a large structure in the middle of the town square.

Ariel lowered her voice, so she could speak to Ti and Ti alone. "This is the best part, coming up."

"Better than the waffles, datchu?"

"Much better," Ariel laughed. "You know, Your Highness, it's pretty lucky your birthday's the day after today. That means you'll get double the celebration, and double the reminder someone loves you.

"You know, that's what this is about, right?"

"Not really, datchu..." Ti mumbled sadly, curling up into an embarrassed ball. "Mama and Papa only told me that this was about love, but not much else. And all the tutors said was that it started centuries ago, when Kokoro was first formed, datchu."

"Well, they're both right, but that's not the whole story," Cure Ariel said, stopping at the edge of the town square. "Your Highness, as the heir to Kokoro's throne, you'll be in charge of keeping this land safe, and making sure that love isn't cheapened or destroyed. Love is a very powerful thing, you see...It makes people do great things, stupid things. Selfless things and irrational things. It's like the song about the warrior – your love can be your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness. It may sound fickle, but it's something that has to be treasured – without it, we would never be able to have relations, or friendships, or families."

"Eh?" Ti blinked. "But love's about romance, right, datchu?" he asked, gesturing to a few people nearby. A man and a woman stood shoulder-to-shoulder, hands clasped. The woman nuzzled her boyfriend's shoulder.

"No. That's only one side of love. And this festival is about celebrating _all_ of it. See?" Cure Ariel motioned past the two lovers. Beyond them stood a man and two children, a boy and a girl. The kids were clinging to his pant legs, and he himself was patting their heads.

Nearby them stood a larger family, only some of them looking like they were actually blood-related. Two girls – sisters, Ti realized – were talking excitedly to one another. Near them were three of their brothers, one of them shoving the other in the shoulder and being scolded by the third. The shover sighed and ground his knuckles against the younger boy's head, muttering "C'mon, you know I'm teasin.'"

An old couple greeted their child and her children.

A group of five friends ran from opposite directions to meet, cheerfully gossiping as they walked off together.

Ariel moved Ti from her shoulder to her chest, lightly squeezing him in lieu of a hug. "Love's everywhere, Your Highness. That's what this celebrates."

Everything went dark as the lights were all extinguished. Ti briefly panicked, but only for a moment as the large, spire structure in the middle of the square slowly began lighting up from the bottom up. Small dots of light that ran from purple, to red, to pink, to white, ran all around until it reached a giant white prism. The prism alighted, throwing sparks and dots of pale pink and cream-colored light onto the people below. The citizens started cheering in hushed voices, nudging each others shoulders and pointing to various parts of the square – Ti looked to see what they saw.

The ribbons that Ariel had helped hang were catching the light and reflecting it back down. The chains of small prisms were doing the same, raining little glows onto everyone. The prism's own light seemed to constantly shift, changing which direction it threw the small glows. A light wind that blew the ribbons and prism-chains made them move and shift; this combined with the bright stars above made Ti feel like they were all standing inside a dark, glittery light-globe. Or perhaps standing among the stars themselves. He stared, eyes wide and shimmering, mouth slightly open.

Ariel just smiled. "These are the people and feelings we protect."

"Ariiieeeel!" came a shrill, panicked voice. A moment later, Coffee ran up Ariel's body to perch on her shoulder. "Cure Ariel, it's awful! Prince Ti still hasn't returned home, and the tutors are all- eh? _Y-Your Highness?!"_ she shrieked, fur bristling a bit.

"Hi, Coffee, datchu."

"Y-You were here the whole time! Oh, Cure, Ariel, thank you so much for finding him!" Coffee sighed as she patted Ti's head.

Ariel laughed behind her hand. "It was no trouble."

* * *

><p>Ti yawned widely, snuggling into Ariel's cupped hands.<p>

The festival was over, and Ariel was walking back to the palace, on the darkened streets. Hardly a soul was still out, they'd all gone home to get a good rest and attend the prince's birthday party the next afternoon.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Ariel asked, jarring Ti out of a half-sleep.

"M-hm..." he mumbled softly, eyes closed.

"He better have!" Coffee _hmph_'d, her paws at her hips. "Honestly, the tutors were all beside themselves! I didn't tell your parents you were playing hooky, we all knew you were, Your Highness – admittedly, I enjoy a good hooky myself from time to time – but you could have at least left us a note!"

Ariel just chuckled – and then she stopped walking. Her posture stiffened slightly as she stared at something in the distance, a hard look on her face. "Ti, wake up."

Her voice wasn't raised, but there was such a sternness to it that Ti had no choice but to immediately wake, on alert. "Datchu?"

She knelt down, depositing both fairies onto the road. "Go with Coffee to the palace, quickly. There's someone here."

Coffee's eyes widened as she nodded, scooping up the prince in her arms. "Come on, Your Highness," she whispered.

Ti looked between them fearfully. But what was happening? This had been such a fun night and now- "Cure Ariel?" he whimpered.

Ariel just smiled briskly. "It's alright, Ti. I'll be along soon. Just..." Her smile looked a bit strained. "Get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow at the party."

"C'mon, Your Highness. You need the energy to eat cake!" Coffee chirped as she jogged towards the palace, Ti resting his head on her shoulder.

Behind her, Ti could see Ariel stiffly approaching some shadowy form.

* * *

><p>He didn't see Cure Ariel that morning when he woke up.<p>

He didn't see her at breakfast; and she was usually standing in the doorway, chatting with either a guard or the king.

"She's probably just making sure everything is in order for your party, Ti, dear," said the queen, gently brushing his fur with a soft brush.

Ti studied their reflections in the mirror. He didn't look like his Mama at all – especially since she was in a human form and he...well, wasn't. This wasn't so unusual, he'd been told. Some of the citizens of Kokoro never grew out of their adorable fairy forms – they just didn't have the right amount of magic. Others, like Coffee, simply chose to stay in those forms for convenience's sake. Coffee herself had been heard saying more than once that this was easier to carry Ti around and be on his level when they spoke. Meanwhile, his parents were constantly in human forms because they thought it looked more dignified.

(Ti had to agree, privately. He always thought the portrait for Great-Great-Grandpa, a fat old mouse fairy with a handlebar mustache, looked rather silly.)

"Or she could be fetching the cake," Queen Meringue said with a light laugh, rising and carrying Ti to the banquet hall.

"The cake, datchu?" Ti's eyes grew wide.

"I made sure the bakers knew to get you coconut, just as you like," Queen Meringue said with a smile. As she approached her husband, who was already seated at the head of the table, both of them heard the man make a gagging noise in his throat. "Oh, Cider, dear, don't fuss. When it's your birthday, then we can have cake _you_ like."

Ti laughed at the look his father gave. So far this was turning out to be a good day.

* * *

><p>Of course it wouldn't last.<p>

Midway through the breakfast, just as Ti was about to sample his favorite lemon tarts that he so rarely got to eat, there was a loud boom. It sounded quite a ways off, but the suddenness of it, the _wrongness_ of its presence made the entire court stiffen. Had...had perhaps one of the citizens arrived early and brought a noisemaker?

Such an optimistic thought was dashed when another explosion rocked the castle, and a large hole was blown in the wall. Several Kokoro soldiers crashed to the floor, having been blasted into the walls from outside. One managed to pick himself up out of the rubble, scrambling for his sword and locking eyes with King Cider.

"Your Majesties! Your Majesties, it's Shitsuren! It's as they threatened, they've come back, they've-!"

His next words were nothing but choked cries of terror as a large, shadowy creature with cruel, glowing red features pounced on him, and seemed to swallow him up inside itself.

Everyone at the table had been frozen in fear before, but now they were shocked back into moving. They threw themselves away from their seats, screaming as they fled for the doors. But only more explosions sounded, more holes blew apart the walls, more of those horrible creatures burst forth.

Ti hid under a small section of the tablecloth, watching with large, terrified eyes as more people were swallowed up. He dimly heard his mother shouting his name: "Ti! Ti, where is Ti?!"

"Ti, where are you?! We can't go without you!" Cider shouted.

He couldn't come out. If he came out, those things would get him. They'd get him and eat him like they ate the soldier before. He hiccuped loudly.

The tablecloth was whipped away from him as the entire table was overturned, sending plates, cutlery, food crashing and shattering apart onto the floor. And Ti locked eyes with another of those horrible creatures, his mouth wide open and his lips quivering.

"Tiiii!"

The creature roared in...pain? Annoyance?...as the king flung a saltshaker between its eyes. The glass shattered, salt getting into its eyes and momentarily blinding it. Cider stood firm, drawing his sword from its sheath at his belt. "Coffee! Take Ti and run!"

Coffee, whose presence Ti hadn't even noticed til this moment, scooped him up. "Yes, Your Majesty!" she shouted.

"But Papa! Mama!" Ti screamed as he saw his mother too, producing a sword of her own and standing with her husband.

"Ti!" Queen Meringue shouted, looking at her son over her shoulder. "You have to go!"

"B-But the monsters...!" Ti sobbed. Despite orders for Coffee to move, he wasn't being taken anywhere just yet. Perhaps she was scared too. "The monsters'll-"

"_Ti, you will do as your mother and I say!"_ Cider yelled, also glancing over his shoulder. Ti was startled to see something shining in his eyes. "Coffee, take him and run! Run away and don't let them catch you!"

"Mama! Papa!" Ti shouted.

"Coffee!"

Coffee ran for it. Her back was turned to the royal couple as they faced forward, their opponent being swiftly cut down...only for three more to run in instead. Ti only had time to see his mother's sword flash before Coffee turned the corner, and his parents were out of sight.

"Papaaaa! Mamaaaa!" he sobbed the whole while.

* * *

><p>"And then we came here...Ti and I haven't seen or heard from the king and queen, or Cure Ariel, since then," Coffee explained morosely.<p>

Hiromi looked down at Ti, who had gone quiet and sullen around the point of his birthday party, and Coffee'd had to take over. He wasn't even eating the cupcake anymore, just staring.

"Who are Shitsuren, though?" Aki asked with a frown. "You didn't mention that part."

"That's because...there isn't a lot known about them." Coffee frowned herself. "They just appeared one day – we thought they were just another family, a weird one. They just appeared outside of Kokoro, in this real gloomy spot. We just thought they were weird, so we ignored them.

Well, that's not wholly true – we of course extended welcomes and greetings and they were always invited to our functions! But they just waved us off. We didn't think they could..."

Coffee drew in a deep, shuddering breath.

"One day, a month before the Festival of Love, they said how love was flawed. Fickle. It could easily be warped, and twisted, and cruel. We told them this wasn't so, but they insisted. They said...they said someone named Break had given them the power to twist and taint love, to cast it aside and drop people into despair instead. Despair was less fickle; it was a constant, and we'd all be happier if the constantly-shifting love didn't exist.

"We told them they were wrong, and they just...left. We believed they were finished with us, that they'd just move away but...Well, you've seen them. You heard what they did."

Ti reached into the ribbon at his neck and pulled out one last Signet Ring. "That's why we have to find Pretty Cure, datchu...We found you, and we need a third. To make up for...for C-Cure A-A-Ariel, s-swallowed u-up...d-datchu..." he started to cry, much to Hiromi's panic as she quickly lifted him to her face and nuzzled him.

Aki's expression was stern.

"Don't worry," she said. She reached over Coffee, and gently took the last Cure Signet. Stared at it a moment before folding her fingers over it. "...love isn't fickle. Love is beautiful."

* * *

><p>"Love is a weakness," Break said.<p>

Shylock knelt before Break, a shadowy figure with a pair of glowing eyes – the only thing that could be seen of them. "Yes," he intoned.

"And why?"

"Because it makes the heart soft. It makes one do terrible, foolish things, and it affects one's head."

"That is right, Shylock. You know, sometimes I think you're my best soldier. You answer me so readily." Break laughed, a sound like rasping leaves. "Not like Tamora. What am I to do with that girl?"

"I am not sure, My Lord," Shylock said simply.

"Ah, well...My dear boy, why don't _you_ face the Pretty Cure next time? After all, you'd done so well with one before."

There was a pregnant pause before: "Yes."

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "Coffee? Coffeeee?"

Miho: "Hey, Hiromi! D'you wanna drink?"

Hiromi: "A-Ah, it's not that!"

Aki: "Tiiiiii!"

Miho: "Man, you guys're thirsty!"

Aki: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Our Fairies Are Gone?!' Let love heal your heart!"


	5. Chapter 5

A cerise-haired woman stood in front of a telephone pole, stapler in hand. With a tired, dull-eyed expression, she stapled a paper to the pole, right over someone's "Lost Pet' flier. Stepping away and adjusting the heavy stack of papers still in her free arm, she sighed quietly, eyes lidding.

"Mrs Hisa?"

She jumped, eyes widening and the beginning of a smile on her face as she turned around. "Noa-!"

Aki and Hiromi stood side-by-side, worried expressions on their faces.

The woman deflated, smile fading in an instant. "Oh. Hello, girls..."

Hiromi glanced at the paper on the phone pole. It was a flier – specifically a missing person flier. Above the brief contact information and the missing's basics, a girl smiled at the camera. She had shoulder-length hair, just a shade darker than her mother's, and bright red eyes. She wore the same uniform Aki and Hiromi did, and had adorned a heart-shaped gold clip at her left temple. Judging by the gates and cherry blossoms in the background, the photo had been taken at the beginning of the school year.

"On your way to school?"

"Huh?" Hiromi blinked and looked back at the woman.

Another smiled had appeared on her face, but it was tired, joyless. She adjusted her hold on the fliers again before speaking. "You two had best hurry. You don't want to miss the bell..."

"Right," Aki said quietly, nodding. She moved past the woman, gently taking Hiromi by the hand and leading her. "Bye, Mrs Hisa."

As the girls left Chikae Hisa, who waved goodbye once before continuing down the road, Aki's grip on Hiromi's hand tightened. She swallowed back a lump in her throat, and blinked to clear her vision. "I hope she finds her," Aki mumbled.

"Yeah..."

"What's going on?" asked Coffee, poking her head out of Hiromi's bag. Ti soon followed. "Who was that lady?"

"One of my neighbors," Hiromi explained. "Mrs Hisa... her daughter, Noa, disappeared a while ago." Her mouth twitched slightly as she lowered her face, glasses catching the light and becoming opaque.

* * *

><p>Chikae put up another flier, and stopped. She stared at the picture of Noa for a bit. Noa looked so grown-up in her uniform... She'd been so excited to start school again, see her friends, join a club...<p>

The woman pressed her forehead to the pole, and wept.

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>Mirai shuddered, eyes squeezing shut. "Brrr..."<p>

"Another premonition?" Aki grinned as she walked past Mirai's desk.

The pink-haired girl laughed a little, cheeks turning red. "Just a little one..." She went quiet til Aki went to her own seat, then leaned over to talk to Hiromi. "Hiromi! Keep a close eye on your possessions today!"

"Eh?" Hiromi paused halfway into her seat.

"Just be very careful!"

"Ahaha...I will, Mirai." Hiromi sat down, setting her schoolbag by her chair.

Up where Aki sat, another girl leaned over to poke between her shoulders with a sharpened pencil. "Heeeey, Aki~?"

"Hm? What is it, Antoinette?"

Antoinette Rayne, a girl with shoulder-length warm honey-blonde hair and dark blue eyes, lowered her pencil and smiled a little. Granted the way one corner of her mouth lifted more than the other, and the way her eyes narrowed a bit, it looked more like a smirk, but still... "Well, I was wondering, when's it my turn to walk to school with you?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I always see you walking in with Satou, and I thought if someone like you frequently walks with someone like her, maybe you're giving everyone a turn? Walking everyone to school? I was wondering when it was my turn next! If you're going alphabetically, you've skipped right over me, you know."

Aki blinked awkwardly and cleared her throat. "Ah, about that-"

She was saved by Mrs Matoko stepping into the room just then. "Alright, everyone," Mrs Matoko said, completely oblivious to the loud exhale at Aki's desk, "let's get our notes out and discuss the tragedy of the samurai and the tree spirit..."

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: 'Our Fairies Are Gone?!'<p>

* * *

><p>The bell rang, signaling lunch. Mrs Matoko clapped her textbook shut and hastily left the room, tossing a "See you later!" over her shoulder. A few students laughed, knowing the instant the door slid shut, she'd be bolting down the hallway to get melon bread before it was all gone.<p>

Antoinette pushed back her chair and smiled, holding up a pink-wrapped bento. "Aki~ Let's eat lunch togeth-"

But Aki, as it turned out, was already on the other side of the classroom, talking to Hiromi. Antoinette gripped her lunch tightly as she overheard the tail-end of the conversation.

"So, the roof?"

"Sure."

"I'll meet you there, okay? I brought meatball subs!"

"Sounds good!"

"Forget it, Antoinette..." came a voice at her other side. Antoinette glared at the speaker, a white-haired boy who was idly scooping rice and peppers into his mouth. "I don't think Aki knows you beyond 'just a classmate.' She doesn't seem interested."

"That's just- You be quiet!" Antoinette snapped, slamming her lunch down on her desk. "She only hangs out with Satou because she feels _sorry_ for her! I'm sure of it!"

It was the only feasible explanation, right? After all, Aki was richer, prettier, more popular, more athletic... Satou wasn't _poor_, but her house was in the more..._ordinary_ part of town. And she was alright-looking but nothing special, she constantly over-reacted, there was that weird friend of hers...

How could Aki have befriended someone like _her_ over Antoinette? Antoinette was the one sitting next to her in class, after all!

"If you say so..." Yuki muttered. "Why're you so upset about this anyway? Normally you don't say a word to Satou, and all you say to Aki is good morning." He straightened up, eyes narrowing slightly. "Wait...this isn't about-"

"Shut up!"

"You're still mad about that? Antoinette, I keep telling ya, he's-"

"I said shut _up!_" Antoinette shouted, hurling her bento at Yuki's face. It hit him with a loud, satisfying _smack_ that earned the attention of everyone else remaining in the classroom. Antoinette didn't seem to notice, instead huffing and picking up her schoolbag. "Now you've ruined my lunch, Yuki!" she said. "I'll have to see if there's more melon bread left!"

With that, she stormed out, slamming the door shut behind her.

There was a long moment of silence before everyone else slowly went back to their meals and conversations. Ti shook slightly as he stared out of Hiromi's bag. "I don't think I like that girl, datchu," he whispered. Coffee patted him gently.

Mirai and Hiromi sat in stunned silence. Eventually, Mirai coughed into her hand. "Uhm...well, I did get the feeling Rayne would be a little 'off' today... Ah, Hiromi! You should meet up with Aki!"

"That's right!" Hiromi gasped, standing straight up. Quickly, she grabbed her bag, and headed for the door. "See you after lunch!"

"Bye-bye~"

* * *

><p>As Hiromi made her way to the rooftop, Coffee poked her head out of the bag again, sniffing. Her eyes closed as she took another long, deep inhale, then smiled. "Hey. Hey, Your Highness, something smells good..."<p>

"Really?" Ti poked his own head out, mimicking Coffee. Sniff, sniffff... "Ah! Someone has hamburger!"

"You think we can get some? I don't like subs, and we can't possibly ask Aki for something else."

"Eh?" Ti turned his surprised gaze towards Coffee. "B-But – we'll get in trouble! We can't leave Hiromi alone, datchu! We're supposed to-"

But as he was speaking, Coffee was gently tugging on his tiny paws, leading him out of the bag. "It's okay," she whispered reassuringly. "We'll catch up with her before she knows we've left. This isn't too much different from when you ran away from your tutors, is it?" she added with a small smile. "And... And you were fine because Cure Ariel was with you. Well, I'll be with you too, so you'll be alright. Okay?"

Ti, whose face had taken an odd expression when he'd heard Ariel's name, swallowed audibly. He looked down, brow furrowed slightly.

_"As long as I'm here, you'll be fine."_

He nodded. "Okay, datchu."

"Good!" Coffee smiled, leaping down to the floor, paw-in-paw with Ti. "We'll be back before they know it!"

* * *

><p>Antoinette walked down the hallway, glaring straight ahead at nothing in particular. A plastic bag swung in her hand, right alongside her schoolbag. She sighed quietly, eyes closing briefly. "I really don't want to go back to the classroom..." she muttered to herself. "Not after <em>that<em> outburst..." Her eyes opened again-

-and she froze, staring wide-eyed at two small creatures, who stared back in obvious alarm.

"...rats?" she whispered.

It happened too fast for them to react. Antoinette's eyes narrowed again, and she quickly bent down, snatching up the smaller one first and dropping him into her schoolbag. When the large one ran..._towards_ the bag (and Antoinette briefly thought that was a bit strange), she was captured too. The blonde girl stood suddenly, clasping the bag shut tightly with her hand on it, making absolutely sure it wouldn't fly open or something. She looked around the empty hallway, and then ran for the stairs.

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, a young man sat alone in his room, a cloth in one hand and a gleaming sword in the other. His face held no emotion, he simply stared at nothingness as he gave the metal one final polish. Not that there was anything to clean off...<p>

Shylock studied his reflection in his sword. It – both the sword and his reflection – was perfect. The sword hadn't been used in a long time, hadn't tasted blood in ages. His reflection was a perfect copy of his face; not twisted or ugly or anything symbolic like that.

He looked as he always did.

Something flickered in his eyes, and he closed them, stood...

...and set the sword back in its proper place, on the wall.

"Ehhhhh?~ You're not taking the sword, Shylock?"

He turned around, walking right past Tamora without a glance at her. The girl blinked curiously, twirling around to watch him go.

"But that's _your_ sword! You gotta bring a weapon to fight Pretty Cure! Lord Break said so!"

"It isn't _quite_ a simple battle," Shylock said, a statement that made Tamora tilt her head and frown. "A Heartbreak Marker and a good target are all I need..." He paused outside the door. "Don't tell Ariel where I've gone." And then he left.

* * *

><p>"Okay, one more time."<p>

"Okay, datchu!"

_"Push!"_ Coffee whispered loudly, and she and Ti pushed hard against the flap over the bag. It moved a little, but not enough. Coffee growled and was about to suggest trying again when Ti tripped over a pink pencil case. "Ah! You okay, Your Highness?" she asked, helping him up.

"Y-yeah..."

Coffee smiled briefly. "Good..." Then her expression grew sad, and she looked down at the messy floor of their prison. "I'm sorry, Your Highness...I said you'd be alright as long as I was here, and now look where we are...I've failed you."

Ti blinked, trying not to look too upset himself. "Y-You didn't-"

Whatever he was about to say next was cut off, as he and Coffee found themselves dropped. Or rather, the bag fell, and they felt it. The two held onto each other as the bag fell sideways, school supplies spilling around them. His eyes widened as he noticed the flap seemed to be open a little more. "Ah! C-Coffee, datchu!"

"Right!"

This time, it took only a few seconds to push the flap up, and then run out of the bag. But that was as far as they got.

Coffee stood in the middle of a large bed, blinking in surprise. They were...in a girl's bedroom. A very nice one, too, from the looks of it. Very clean, not a speck of dust on the cream-colored carpet, the fluffy pink bed was immaculately-made, the bookshelves were neat and tidy. Even the white lace curtains at the windows were perfectly symmetrical and clean. And look, even outside the window was – they could see Aki's house! This girl was Aki's neighbor!

The only thing that even slightly had Coffee on edge was the large cage in the corner of the room, sitting atop of a bunch of newspapers. Why would a human girl need such a huge cage, and with so many large tubes in it?

Clearly it was meant to hold them, whenever their captor returned from...wherever it was she'd gone to. What a foolish guard, to leave her victims all alone! Coffee chuckled to herself, picking Ti up onto her back. "Alright, Your Highness. We'll take advantage of our guard being gone, and-"

And the door opened.

Coffee tensed up as Antoinette approached the bed, something in her hands. She clenched her teeth as Ti sobbed and hid his face in her furry shoulder. She'd managed to outrun shadowy monsters, she would outrun a human girl if she had to!  
>...a fast human girl, and this was <em>her<em> domain, but she still must have stood a chance!

Antoinette grinned down at the two...

...and set the plate she was holding in front of them. "Here you go, guys," she said in a gentle, low voice.

Coffee blinked in surprise, and Ti lifted his head to stare. Now that the thing – no, the plate – was lowered, Coffee wondered how she couldn't see the steam rising from the top. Or _smell_ the stuff on it.

"It's hamburger," Antoinette said with a small laugh. "Go on..." When the critters didn't move to eat, and instead kept staring wide-eyed, she reached out and took off a bit of meat with her thumb and forefinger. "See, it's good!" She gently blew on it, then popped the bite in her mouth, chewing happily. "Mmmmm-_mm_! See?" She tore off another piece and held it out to the rat, chuckling as she sniffed at it.

The rat looked back at the little mouse on her shoulder, then at Antoinette again. Then she lunged forward and seized the hamburger between her paws and began devouring it. Antoinette laughed again, wiping her fingers on her skirt. "Tasty, huh? It's a little savory, since it came from the school, though. But I made sure to drain most of the juices before I put it on the plate." She tore off another segment, this time feeding herself as the rat just helped herself to the food. Antoinette grinned a bit as the mouse rolled off and nibbled a little meat, too, staring up with wide, curious eyes.

"But I just don't get why you were in school," Antoinette murmured, frowning. "I mean, rodents don't last very long in a place like a high school – no offense meant to you two, of course, it's just what your animal class is called! - and we don't normally get mice or rats up here." Her frown deepened. "And then there are these ribbons, so obviously you're someone's pets, I suppose..."

The rat actually looked a bit offended.

Antoinette laughed, then lay on her bed and stroked the mouse, who was still eating, with her fingertip. "Well, don't worry. I'll take care of you until I can find who your owner is...

"And til then, we can have some _fun_, ohoho~!"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>  
><em>Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

* * *

><p>"Alright, everyone, welcome back. Hopefully you all had a good lunch – hm?" Mrs Matoko's gaze went to a seat she was <em>sure<em> had been occupied earlier. "Where's Rayne?"

Yuki raised his hand. "She was here earlier; she just said she was going to get some lunch and left."

After a brief pause, Mrs Matoko shrugged and turned back to the board. "She must've eaten something bad and went home... I keep telling them, they need to prepare some of their meat better."

Hiromi frowned and looked down at her bag. Hm...Coffee and Ti hadn't said anything at all the entire lunch break. She'd assumed they were napping and shouldn't be disturbed, and now she was kinda glad she hadn't woken them. The meatball subs were fine to _her_, but rats and mice had more delicate stomachs, right? They might have gotten sick if she'd woken them up!

But still, they must be hungry now, right? And Hiromi _did_ have a few macarons left over. She reached into her desk to take some out of their little box, opened her schoolbag-

And a loud yelp sounded from her desk, catching everyone's attention. Mrs Matoko lowered the chalk she held. "Satou?! Are you alright? You look pale!"

Hiromi stood at her desk, holding her open schoolbag at chest-level. She stared straight ahead, her glasses opaque, slack-jawed. "I-I-I-" she stammered, then gulped and bowed. "I feel sick! I need to go home! Bye-bye!" And without another word, she bolted out of the classroom and down the hall.

After a brief pause, Aki thrust her hand into the air and doubled over. "Ohhhh, Mrs Matoko, my stomach suddenly hurts very badly! I have to leave, too!" A second later, Aki was gone.

Mrs Matoko stood there for a second, then sighed and rubbed her temple. "Does anyone _else_ suddenly have a bad stomachache?" she groaned.

* * *

><p><em>"What do you mean they're gone?!"<em> Aki shrieked, running down the hill and into town.

"I mean I looked in my bag and they're not there! If they were in school they would have gone back to the classroom or said something or – _What if I dropped them on our way to school?!"_ Hiromi suddenly gasped, hands flying up to her cheeks. "What if they're being chased by a cat?! What if they got hit by a car?! _What if a chef saw them and he was thinking of making mouse soup and has fresh ingredients?!"_

"Hiromi, calm down - You're making me more anxious than I already am! Just try not to think about how much trouble they could be getting into!"

_"Gyaaaaaaah, I'm imagining it!"_

* * *

><p>Ti ran as fast as his little legs could take him, breathing heavily. His eyes were wide, focused. He could hear laughter in the background, but paid no attention to it – it wasn't important, not compared to this.<p>

He leaped, but just before he could land on the brightly-colored ribbon, it was pulled away.

"Ahaha, almost~" Antoinette laughed as the little mouse looked around for the toy. "Come on, you can do it!" She gave the toy – a bright pink ribbon attached to a thin, black rod – another twitch, moving the ribbon to another spot on the floor. "C'mon, your friend got it in no time flat, you can do it!"

Her expression softened somewhat as she watched the mouse try to pin the runaway ribbon again, finally succeeding. Her seized it between his front paws and began biting down on it, rolling over it enough to get tangled up. Antoinette chuckled. "I knew you could do it, cutie... I hope your owner has a ribbon for you at their house. Eh?"

Antoinette jerked her head up to see the rat had wandered onto her desk and was climbing onto a stack of papers. _"Get down from there!"_ she shouted.

The rat actually jumped, and turned to stare at her. Antoinette dropped the ribbon, seized the mouse, and stormed over the desk. In one swift motion, she grabbed the rat by the scruff of the neck and held it up to her face, glaring down at it. "You _stay_ away from those papers! They're _not_ food! They are _not_ food!" she snapped, giving the rat a little shake.

The rat just stared in what could only be stunned horror.

Antoinette's hard glare slowly softened, and she sighed. She carefully moved her hands around the rat to hold her in one cupped hand, gently petting down her disturbed fur with the other hand. "I'm sorry, sweetheart... I've just been having a bad few days. I didn't mean to take it out on you, honest, I didn't..."

The rat turned around to look at the papers again.

The top of the paper was blank; clearly something was meant to go in that space later. Below that was some thick, bold text.

**MISSING**  
><strong>Three years old<strong>  
><strong>Answers to Bitsy<strong>  
><strong>If found, please contact Antoinette Rayne at XXX-XXXX. Give him some hamburger before I fetch him, it's his favorite<strong>

"I've had him since he was just a baby," Antoinette explained, her voice thick. "But a few days ago, Papa wasn't paying attention, and he was talking to Mama with our door wide open. I'd let Bitsy out to get some exercise, and before any of us could stop him..." She sniffled, then sobbed faintly, wiping at her eyes. "I-I've done everything. I've put up posters, but Mrs Hisa keeps putting Noa's posters over them by accident. I set out hamburger – his favorite food in the whole world - near my house but strays eat them instead. I keep going out to look for him after school and it's... He's my best friend in the world...And I can't find him..." she sobbed lightly.

She could have sworn the little mouse was patting her shoulder in sympathy, murmuring "datchu" at her.

* * *

><p>"Coffeeee!" Aki shouted, hands cupped around her mouth.<p>

"Tiii! Where are you?!" Hiromi added. She lowered her hands, her glasses opaque again. "Please don't be in trouble!" she called again.

"Hiromi, cut it out!" Aki gave her a horrified look. Then she blinked, and her panicked expression faded. Just past her girlfriend, there was something small and furry, something lurking behind a nearby trashcan. "Coffee!" she yelled. "Or Ti!" She bolted past Hiromi, arms outstretched-

-a dark blur shot past the furry thing and took it before Aki could react.

Both girls blinked. "Wh-what the-"

"You two are Pretty Cure, aren't you?"

They looked up to see a boy only a little older than themselves. He had lime-green, emotionless eyes, and dark shoulder-length hair. His clothes were varying shades of dark gray; a long-sleeved shirt with two coattails in the back, thick pants, and black shoes. The only splash of color he wore was the bright red scarf around his neck.

And he had simply appeared from nowhere, and was holding the creature – a fat ferret – by its neck. And he knew who they were.

Well, in a situation like that, there was only one explanation.

"Shitsuren!" Aki whispered harshly.

* * *

><p>Ti tensed up, gasping faintly. Without a word, he turned and leaped off of Antoinette's shoulder, running for the door.<p>

"H-Huh? Hey, wait, sweetie!" Antoinette called after him, giving chase. Whoa, he was already running down the hall and for the front door! How fast was this little guy? "Where're you going?! Come back!"

Ti stopped at the front door, threw himself against it a few times, then scurried up the floor-length curtain towards the window.

"No, wait!"

Too late. He jumped out. And Antoinette threw the door open and gave chase, Coffee clinging to her shoulder for dear life. "Waaaiiit! I can't lose you too! I'm supposed to _take care of you!"_ she called, voice tight.

* * *

><p>"You haven't denied it, and you know where my loyalties lie," Shylock intoned, hefting the ferret higher.<p>

"Put him down!" Hiromi screamed, panic rising in her voice.

"Wait, little guy, come – Oh my God, _Bitsy!_"

Hiromi and Aki whirled around to see Antoinette racing towards them, eyes wide and shining with the beginning of tears. "Antoinette, stay away!" Hiromi yelled, throwing her arm out and shaking her head. "Run!"

"But-!"

Shylock threw the ferret high into the air. As it flew above their heads, squirming and making loud distressed noises, (Antoinette could be heard screaming in horror) he swiftly uncapped his marker and drew the familiar heart shape in the air and slashed it in half. Another slashing motion of his arm, and the symbol shot towards the animal. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on out, Usotsuki!" he shouted.

Hiromi and Aki could only shield their eyes from the flash of purple light, and then stare in horror at what Bitsy had become. The ferret had grown to the size of a house, its once tawny color pitch black, with purple paws. Large fangs that dripped thick saliva protruded from its jaw, and its eyes were nothing more than bright red coals. When Bitsy-Usotsuki opened its mouth, more of the horrible red glow could be seen. **"USOOOOOO!"**

Antoinette stood frozen, staring in horror and despair. "...Bitsy?" she whispered.

The Usotsuki didn't attack... it lowered its head, paws up over its ears, and roared. The cry was ear-piercing, but anyone paying attention could tell it sounded _in pain._

The tears threatened to overflow. "Bitsy?!"

* * *

><p><em>Eleven-year-old Antoinette stared down at the tiny ball of fuzz in her hands.<em>

_A baby ferret yawned, stretched, and began washing its face, much to the girl's delight._

_Later that evening, she dangled a bright pink ribbon above the ferret's head, laughing as he jumped up to grab it. "Good boy, good boy~!" she cooed. The ribbon was set aside, Antoinette leaned forward and picked up the ferret, cuddling her cheek against him._

_Even later, at bedtime, she slept soundly with the ferret curled under her chin, snoring delicately. "I love you," Antoinette mumbled in her sleep._

* * *

><p>"Bitsy!" she screamed again, then directed her gaze to Shylock. "You <em>monster!<em> What have you done to my beloved Bitsy?!"

"Antoinette, you need to get outta here, datchu!" Ti suddenly yelled, leaping off her shoulder and standing in front of her.

Antoinette wasn't listening. Nor did she really notice the little mouse was _talking_. All her attention was on Shylock. "Change him back!" she shrieked, more tears gathering in her eyes. _"Give me back my Bitsy! Stop hurting him!_" She roared in fury and charged towards Shylock.

Shylock simply jumped out of the way, so quickly he might as well have teleported. He reappeared atop a phone pole right next to Bitsy-Usotsuki. "Come on, then, Pretty Cure...My Usotsuki is hurting, a living creature is suffering, and you don't seem to care enough to save it... I suppose the stories that Cures held the brightest love in their hearts were all wrong," he added in a bitter tone.

"Antoinette, please, get _away!"_ Aki shouted, bringing her hand up to her mouth. The Cure Signets...they had to transform, but with Antoinette here – they'd never transformed in front of someone like this, could they-

"I see you two need incentive," Shylock murmured. He uncapped the marker again, drawing a heart in mid-air and slashing through it. Another swipe, and the symbol split in two and shot down towards Antoinette.

Antoinette, who'd been running towards the pole to try and get Shylock again, was hit directly in the chest. She cried out sharply as if her oxygen had been cut off, then her legs buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground. A black aura appeared around her as the tears she'd been trying to hold back finally fell, pouring in small streams down her face. She tilted her head back, mouth opened wide as she began half-sobbing, half-screaming. _"AH-AAAAAH...BITSYYYY AHH...!"_ she wailed, shoulders heaving, a little snot escaping her nose.

Shylock paid no mind to her suffering. He simply recapped the marker, eyeing her coolly. "Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world."

By Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, something like black lightning dancing over it.

"Antoinette!"

"Antoinette, datchu!"

Hiromi's hands curled into fists, pressed against her chest. "Antoinette...Bitsy..." She shut her eyes, gritting her teeth, then glared up at Shylock. "They did nothing to you! Bitsy's not even doing anything!"

"Bitsy never wanted to fight! He still doesn't!" Aki added.

Sure enough, Bitsy-Usotsuki was still writhing in pain. It lashed out with its front paws, smashing a streetlight into pieces, but it didn't seem to be on purpose. It was an unconscious reaction, a response to pain rather than a desire to hurt others.

"This is..."

"Far enough!"

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**  
><strong>"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"<strong>  
><strong>"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"<strong>  
><strong>"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!" <strong>

"So, you have enough love to transform," Shylock noted. "But what else?"

Bitsy-Usotsuki roared in agony again, and thrashed. Another telephone pole was bent, the wood splintering and nearly hitting the still-crying Antoinette. He roared one more time, took one weak, pained step forward-

-and began to fall down towards Antoinette.

"Antoinette!" Montague cried, and she ran forward. In the blink of an eye, she'd grabbed Antoinette around the middle and leaped out of the way, taking her classmate with her. She winced as Antoinette kept crying directly into her ear, but showed no sign of annoyance.

"Bitsy...Bitsyyyy!" Antoinette shrieked between sobs.

Montague felt her heart twisting into knots at the sound. "You love him so much, don't you...?" she murmured.

Down below, Capulet had run forward and grabbed Bitsy-Usotsuki's arms, pinning them to the ground to keep him from moving. He continued to thrash, however, his larger tail and legs knocking aside cars, trash cans, bending more metal and wooden poles alongside the street. He roared again, the sound making Capulet's ears ring.

But she still held fast.

"You're hurting... You never asked for this, neither you nor Antoinette did! Neither of you deserve to hurt so much!"

In the air, Montague began to fall back down to earth, Antoinette in her arms. She hugged the girl tight, patting her back. "We'll save Bitsy... I promise, Antoinette!"

_"Well, I was wondering, when's it my turn to walk to school with you?"_

"You were lonely...And you wanted someone to help you find Bitsy!" Montague realized.

Meanwhile, Capulet looked into Bitsy-Usotsuki's glowing red eyes, her heart breaking at the sight of tears dotting the lashes. "You're scared. All you wanted was to go home, to be with your human again, and this happened!"

Montague landed and gently deposited Antoinette on the street. "We'll definitely..."

"...help you!"

Capulet let go and leaped away before she could be struck by the still-thrashing Bitsy-Usotsuki. "Montague!" she cried, throwing her hand out.

Montague grabbed her hand. "Right!"

The Rapier Wands appeared before them, and they aimed directly at Bitsy-Usotsuki's heart. **"Pretty Cure Dual Heart Strike!" **

Instead of a hole being blasted through him, Bitsy-Usotsuki was bathed in warm light, glowing hearts dancing around him. He slowly relaxed, as if the pain was leaving him. **"Uso..."** he began to growl, but that soon faded into a sleep, and almost relieved, _"...dook."_

The light flashed a warm gold, and Bitsy lay curled up on the sidewalk. The damage he'd caused magically reversed itself, Antoinette stopped crying and slowly sank to the ground, as if in sleep.

The young man just clapped once. "Bravo," he said flatly.

"What was this even about?!" Montague yelled. "What were you talking about, about love and PreCure having the brightest hearts and all that? And who are you?"

"Montague, calm down..." Capulet murmured.

"My name is Shylock," the young man said, briefly inclining his head. "And I came to perform a test. ...you've passed, but this may not be a good thing for you."

And with that, he teleported away.

* * *

><p>"Shyloooock! I thought you were gonna defeat theeeem! Isn't that what Break wanted?!" Tamora whined, fists under her chin.<p>

"Tamora, please, it's too early for this..." Riche groaned.

"It's afternoon!"

"It's_ always_ too early for this."

Tamora puffed her cheeks out and pouted. She was about to say something when Shylock spoke up, catching her attention.

"Break wanted me to face Pretty Cure, but not to defeat them. They merely wanted to see how strong their hearts were, their resolve..."

Lady's brows lowered, and she managed a look of concern even without opening her eyes. "But that wasn't all, was it, Shylock?" she whispered, setting down a tray of tea.

Shylock was silent, staring out the window.

Lady sighed, pushing a teacup and sugar bowl towards him. "Lord Break likely wanted to be certain you wouldn't fall again. He was so worried about the last time-"

"It will not happen again."

* * *

><p>"Antoinette?"<p>

"Datchu?"

"Hmm..." Antoinette's brow furrowed for a moment before she opened her eyes, blinking blearily as she sat up. She looked around, confused. "Huh? Why am I lying on a dirty street?"

"You tripped!" Aki offered, smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of her head. "You managed to catch you but I guess the shock of it made you pass out?"

Hiromi gave Aki an odd look. "Just because it happened to me once doesn't mean you can-" she began mumbling.

Antoinette suddenly gasped and sat straight up. "Ah! The mouse and rat! I was chasing the mouse outside – h-he got loose and-" Her gaze went to Hiromi, and she noticed the mouse and rat on her shoulders. Antoinette sighed in relief, shoulders slumping. "Oh...thank goodness...Are they yours, Satou?"

"Uhm! Y-yes!"

"They're very cute and behaved beautifully. I can tell you take good care of them," Antoinette smiled and reached out for Ti. She patted him between the ears with a fingertip, chuckling as Ti began to nuzzle her. "No wonder Aki likes you so much... Only someone with a good heart can raise such nice animals."

"Say, about animals..." Aki held out a fuzzy thing that Antoinette had overlooked til this point. "Is this the guy from the flier?"

Antoinette looked down – and her eyes went wide, cheeks turning pink. "Bitsy!" she cried, holding her arms open.

With a cheery 'dook!' the ferret leaped out of Aki's arms and into Antoinette's. He buried his snout between her neck and shoulder, nuzzling and making tiny little ferret noises, his little claws grasping her shirt tightly. Antoinette, for her part, was sobbing openly again, but this time in happiness. She hugged Bitsy tightly, gently stroking him all the way from his head to tail. "Oh, thank God! I was so scared, Bitsy, I was so – Don't _ever_ go near the front door again, Bitsy! Oh my God... Satou, Aki, thank you so much for finding him!" she added, turning her tear-streaked face towards the two.

"Y-You're welcome..." Hiromi stammered.

"Hey, Antoinette?" Aki said. "You know, uhm...Bitsy looks like he loves you a lot, and...well, you did say people with good hearts are good with animals, and you _did_ ask about walking to school together-"

Antoinette flushed red. "O-Oh, I'm sorry about that, dreadfully sorry! I don't know what-"

"If you want, we can all walk together?" Aki suggested. Hiromi nodded. "I mean, your house is near mine, right? And we can talk about taking care of our pets!"

"I'm not-!" Coffee began, but Hiromi covered her mouth.

"What do you say?" Aki added, holding one hand out.

There was a long pause as Antoinette looked from Aki, to Hiromi, to Aki's hand. Then she looked to the little animals she'd taken care of earlier, and at Bitsy still hugging her.  
>Finally, she closed her eyes, smiled and nodded.<p>

"Sure!"

"Wow, Coffee sure likes that hamburger..." Hiromi said the next day, watching Antoinette feed the rat some of her lunch.

"Her name is Coffee? What a weird name, Satou! Did you come up with it after pulling an all-nighter?" Antoinette asked with a deep frown. Then she blinked, and looked sheepishly down at the rat in her lap. "Er – I didn't mean it that way, I apologize... It's kinda cute, I guess."

Ti smiled from his position on Aki's shoulder. It was kind of funny, really, how pets had made the three of them friends. And how much his opinion of Antoinette had changed since he first heard her.

"Aki~? Can I feed Ti some hamburger too~~?"

"Sure. Ah, Antoinette, eh... you know, I'm not looking in dating someone right now, so if you could pull back that tone you used just now-"

"Oh, right!" Antoinette turned red again. "Sorry!"

Yup, Ti thought to himself as he sampled the hamburger he'd been offered. _Changed a **lot**._

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<br>Aki: "Waaaah, Hiromi, this parfait is the best ever!"  
>Hiromi: U-Uhm, but I like this lava cake...But really, all the desserts here are delicious!"<br>Aki: "Oh no wait! This new thing is the best ever! I could eat it all day and never get sick of it!"  
>Coffee: "Uh-oh! I think this sweet's actually bad for you!"<br>Aki: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: Cafe-Commotion! A Recipe for Chaos!' Let love heal your heart!"


	6. Chapter 6

_"Alright, now gently fold in the eggs..."_

_"Am I doing this right, Granny?"_

_"Yes, that's good, Misaki..."_

_"Mrs Aki's Granny, how 'bout me?" A five-year-old boy with white hair looked up at the old woman beside him. His pudgy hands held up a large mixing bowl of cake batter, the ingredients perfectly blended together and just the right texture._

_"Yuki, that looks wonderful!" Aki's grandmother, Reina, smiled down at him. She then took a closer look at the bowl's contents, and an amazed look appeared on her face. "My, my, have you baked before today, Yuki?"_

_"Nope!" Yuki grinned toothily. "Hey, hey, Aki! Look at my bowl!"_

_Little Aki, wearing blue overalls, a black shirt, and with her hair shorter and cut in a more boyish style, smiled and stuck her finger in Yuki's cake batter. "It tastes good, too!" she laughed._

_"Hey! You can't eat it til it's a cake, Aki!" Yuki snatched the bowl away, then smiled. "But if you think this is good, just you wait! Someday I'm gonna make the best ever-!"_

In the present-day, very early in the morning, Yuki stood in his dimly-lit kitchen, staring at the creation that sat on the counter. The sunrise filtering through the curtains cast dappled light on the counter and cake, and in Yuki's opinion it just made it look prettier. He gaped for a second, resting his hands on the countertop and smiling in relief.

"The best ever mille-feuille..."

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm off!"<p>

Aki tapped her toes against the ground to make sure her shoes were on right, then left the gates before her home. First stop would be Antoinette's house, she supposed, since it was on the way and all. Then they'd meet Hiromi at the tree.

But as she walked past one of the smaller homes...

"Ah, Misaki."

"Granny!" Aki stopped, smiled and bowed at the elderly woman. "I'm off to school, Granny, so I can't stay to talk for long-"

"Oh, I know that, Misaki, dear," Reina chuckled. "I just wanted to tell you, Yuki stopped by my house today."

Aki blinked. "Yuki?"

"He was rather eager for me to try his mille-feuille. Said something about it being the special of the Sugar Bowl this weekend, so you simply _had_ to come by and taste it."

Aki's eyes widened a little. "...he made mille-feuille?" she whispered.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Cafe-Commotion! A Recipe for Chaos!<p>

* * *

><p>Later that morning, Aki, Hiromi, and Antoinette were making their way up the stairs to the school.<p>

"And then, they had the _audacity_ to try and charge me ten dollars more than the nail polish _should_ have cost! And I understood every word of what they said – they didn't think I knew English!" Antoinette fumed, face turning pink. "It's as if they think all high-schoolers are idiots, or don't pay attention in English. Just because some don't speak it very well doesn't mean the rest of us don't!"

Hiromi shook her head in sympathy. "Then what did you do?"

"Well, I did what any sensible girl would do. I told them, in English, that if this was how they were going to treat a customer, I'd have to purchase some Passionfruit Red nail polish _elsewhere_." She snickered quietly, smacking her fist into an upturned palm. "That certainly showed them! Don't you think, Aki~?"

Aki was silent.

Hiromi blinked. "Aki?"

Aki startled, then smiled awkwardly at the other girls. "Ah, yes, great, fantastic."

"Aki, you didn't hear a word I said," deadpanned Antoinette.

"Heh-heh-heeeeeh..." Aki chuckled sheepishly and scratched the side of her cheek. "Y-Yeah, sorry, I was thinking."

"About what?" The girls reached the top of the stairs and stepped out of the way to let other students by. Hiromi tilted her head. "Normally you're not like this."

"Yeah, I know..." Aki sighed, rubbed the back of her neck. "You know the Sugar Bowl?"

Did they ever! The Sugar Bowl was a popular cafe, famous for its sweets. Some of the students had after-school jobs there, and the owner was known to stand outside the door and offer free samples every two hours. There were reasonable prices for the average schoolkid, the décor was nice, and –

"Wait, what's the Sugar Bowl got to-?" Hiromi began.

"Aki!" A male voice cut in, and two seconds later Yuki was running up to them, his cheeks flushed with excitement. "Aki, listen, you _have_ to come by the Sugar Bowl after school, I dunno if your Granny tolja yet but-"

"I know, I know, the mille-feuille," Aki chuckled. "I'll be there-"

"Good! And you remember, you have to order it specifically. Nothing else, okay? I want you to try it first thing! It's really important!" Yuki seized Aki by the shoulders and shook her a little. "After school!"

"O-o-o-ka-ay, Yu-u-ki...!" Aki managed to get out past her teeth clicking together. "N-No-ow ple-ease st-top..." She lifted her hands and set them on Yuki's wrists, then pulled them away from her shoulders. After a second of swaying dizzily, she shook her head rapidly and grinned at him. "Look, I promise I'll go to the Sugar Bowl after school, and I'll try your cake-"

"Mille-feuille."

"Mille-feuille, right."

"Great!" Yuki's hands clasped Aki's shoulders again, making all three girls tense up nervously. But this time he was content not to start shaking her, and just fixed her with a wide grin. "And it's made with strawberry and white chocolate," he said, as if this was important.

And...apparently it was, because he stopped smiling and looked intensely into Aki's eyes. "...you remember that, right?"

Aki blinked. "I, uh-"

"Aaah, of course you do..." Yuki chuckled, the atmosphere around him lightening up. He let go of Aki's shoulders and took a step back. "Well! I'll see you at the Sugar Bowl! Look for me, okay? I wanna see you take that first bite!" He ran off, waving over his shoulder as the first bell rang.

Antoinette and Hiromi just stared after him for a moment. "That was...uhm..." Hiromi mumbled. "White chocolate and strawberry mille-feuille is important to you, Aki? How come?"

Aki just stayed quiet, staring ahead. Her brows were lowered, jaw slightly clenched as she bit her lip. "I..."

_Five-year-old Aki sat on the curb, crying softly and wiping her eyes with her fists._

"That's the problem... I don't remember."

* * *

><p>"Heeeeey! Ariel, you have to eat!" Tamora yelled at the large door. "Lemme in!"<p>

"I'm not hungry right now, Tamora," came the Cure's voice. "I'm tired, I'm trying to nap."

"I can hear you right by the door!" Tamora pouted. "That's a weird place to nap, you liar!"

Ariel said nothing.

Tamora just puffed her cheeks out like she wanted to yell but was swallowing it back, then exhaled obnoxiously. "Ffffffiiiiiiine, give me the silent treatment! You know, I bet if Shylock gave you this, you'd eat it!"

Still nothing.

"Well, _fine_! Be that way, wimp! I was just _trying_ to be nice to you, since we're living together and all, and thought, hey, you know, maybe if you were good and we were friends, you could come out of that room, but if that's the way you're gonna act, then fine! I'll just give this mille-feuille to Riche then! Screw you, Cure Ariel!" She then turned on her heel and stomped down the hallway.

In her room, the depowered Cure sat against her door, head bowed slightly.

* * *

><p>Tamora, blissfully unaware, skipped down the hallway towards the living area. Riche and Lady would be there, she was sure of it! Heck, where else would Lady be, but setting out tea for them all? And Riche couldn't stand to be away from his wife's side for more than, what, an hour? Two, tops? So she'd definitely find them both there.<p>

"What's that with the tea, darling?"

"Ah, this is just mille-feuille. I thought it would complement today's tea, you see..."

There was a pause, presumably as Riche took a bite. "It's wonderful, darling. The finest sweet I've ever eaten."

"Riiiiiiche~! Don't say that til you try thiiiis~!" Tamora called as she suddenly kicked the door open.

Riche lowered his hand from Lady's face and glared, sitting upright on the loveseat. "Tamora, I _told_ you before, when Lady and I are alone-"

"Come on, just one bite! Then you can keep being all gross." Without waiting for Riche to answer, Tamora took a forkful of the dessert and shoved it into his mouth. "Ta-daaaa~ White chocolate and strawberries~ Isn't it tasty?"

Riche's mouth twisted and his eyes widened, the brows lowering. After struggling with the cake for a bit, he swallowed, pounding on his chest and coughing. "Tamora! That was wretched, a poor excuse for a mille-feuille! Lady's is far tastier than that one could ever hope to be! _Where_ did you get such a thing?!"

"Eh, this?" Tamora glanced down at it, poking it with the fork Riche had thrown at her in disgust. "It's from some human cafe – Sugar Bowl, or something like-"

"I'm going down there! I'm going down there right now!" Riche declared, storming out. "And I'm going to make them regret making such a _vile_ excuse for mille-feuille! Really, my darling, they ought to hire _you_ instead of whichever fools they have!"

Both girls winced as the door slammed shut. Tamora shrugged and ate a forkful of mille-feuille herself. "I dunno, I don't think it's that bad..." she mumbled.

Lady sighed, resting a hand against her cheek in distress. "Do you suppose I should have told him I _also_ picked that up from the Sugar Bowl?"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>The bell rang, and everyone began packing up their things. Yuki pushed back his chair with a loud scraping sound, and ran for the door. "Aki!" he yelled, earning a few curious glances. "I'll see you in twenty!"<p>

"Great...I'll be there!" Aki grinned, though it looked slightly strained as she waved her friend off. As soon as Yuki was out of sight, she sighed and slumped over her desk. "Hiromi, Antoinette, can you two come with-"

"Sorry, Aki~!" Antoinette clasped her hands together and bowed her head. "But I already promised Bitsy I would give him his bath and hamburger steak after school! I can't keep him waiting! Ta~!" And then she was gone.

Aki sighed deeply and thumped her forehead against the top of the desk.

Hiromi, right behind her, set a hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly. "What's the matter, Aki? You like the Sugar Bowl, and you like sweets... You like white chocolate, strawberries, Yuki's your best friend... What's the big deal?"

"Yeah!" Coffee exclaimed, finally popping out of Hiromi's bag. She carried Ti in her arms and climbed onto Aki's desk, patting the crown of her head. "And cake is delicious! Whatever's the matter, it can't be too bad if cake is involved."

A low groan emitted from the girl, and she turned her head so her cheek rested on the top of the desk. "It's...it's really dumb, and I'm sorry for asking you all to come but..."

_Aki was four. She stood in her great-grandma's garden, picking strawberries. Most of them dropped into the little plastic bucket on her arm, but a few were popped into her mouth and eaten._

_"Hi."_

_Aki blinked and looked up. There, standing on the other side of the low garden wall, was a little boy her own age. He smiled. "Can I have some? I'm Yuki!"_

_She swallowed, and nodded with a smile of her own. "I'm Aki! And yeah, of course you can!"_

"Yuki's been my best friend since we were little kids. I tell him everything – well, almost everything," she added with a quick smile at Hiromi. "And he tells me everything too... When we were seven, you know, we made our own secret club with a secret handshake and secret code words... We got bored of it after a week and we both forgot the handshake and words, but still, we were that close. And now he's so sure that I'll like this thing he made. And it's not that I think I won't, because I know I will! But he acts like it's really important – he asked me this morning, do I remember how important it is? And the thing is I _don't._

"We used to bake together... I remember that. That was when he started talking about mille-feuille, how he'd make the best one ever. Just for me... I thought he was just saying that because we were best friends, because when you're a kid, you have to make the best anything and everything. I didn't think he'd still be on about that, and... And now I don't even remember why this is so important, or if it even _should_ be."

Hiromi squeezed Aki's shoulder reassuringly, but said nothing. Perhaps she didn't know what _to_ say.

Ti, however, seemed to. "Maybe...maybe it's just important you like it, datchu?"

Aki looked over at him.

"Maybe he just wants to make you happy. _Because_ you're best friends, datchu. Maybe that's the important part."

"You think so?" Aki murmured, smiling a little. She reached over, gently scritching the top of Ti's head, much to the little fairy's delight. "Maybe that's it... Yeah!" Her eyes brightened. "He's wanted to make me a mille-feuille for a long time now, maybe that's all he -"

_Aki sat crying on the curb, scrubbing her face with her fists. She didn't hear the rapidly-approaching footsteps._

_"Aki!" Yuki called out, holding a soccer ball between his hands. He slowed to a stop, looking at her in concern. "Aki? What's the matter...?"_

_"I- I'm-"_

"He...wanted?" Aki frowned.

* * *

><p>The Sugar Bowl was teeming with people when Hiromi and Aki arrived. They'd expected just a short line, at the <em>most<em>, but this-

"I-It's like a boy band concert..." Hiromi squeaked, glasses going opaque.

"It's like that chocolate shop..." Aki added, eyes wide. "Sugar Bowl's popular, but not _that_ popular!"

"Yuki's dish must be super tasty, datchu..." Ti whispered, peeking from Hiromi's bag.

"Man, I can't wait to try some~"

"Kyaaaah!" the girls both jumped, Hiromi clasping her bag to her chest in panic. Right next to them, as if she'd simply materialized there, was Miho, a purse over her shoulder. And she was grinning over at them.

"Sup?" she laughed.

"M-Miho! What're you doing-?"

"Aw, I've been helping Nana tone some of her pages, but she let me take a break today. I overheard a couple people talking about today's special this morning, so I had to come over~! Hm, I should see about getting a take-away for Nana, now that I think of it..." she added in a low voice, tapping her fingertip to her lips.

Aki and Hiromi chuckled awkwardly.

"Heeeeey! Akiiiii!" came Yuki's voice. The throng parted as he ran forward, waving his arm over his head. "You made it! Come in, come in! Bring your friends!" Before Aki could say anything, Yuki grabbed both her hands and dragged her into the Sugar Bowl, much to the loud disappointment of some people outside.

Hiromi and Miho shared a glance before following. "Well, lucky we got a friend who gets celebrity treatment, yeah?" Miho snickered.

"A-Ah, yeah..."

* * *

><p>The three of them sat in a booth, where it'd be nice and quiet. Miho looked quite pleased, Hiromi kept looking at Aki, and Aki looked...<p>

Well, tense.

"Ta-daaaaa~" Yuki called out, carrying a tray with three mille-feuille – strawberry and white chocolate, just as he'd told Aki that morning. With a flourish, he set the first two down before Hiromi and Miho, then smiled at Aki. "I really hope you like it, Aki." He began to set down the plate in front of her-

-only to find the plate empty. "Huh?"

Riche stood behind him, balancing the mille-feuille on his fingertips. "Tch. Such a disgusting thing..."

"H-hey!" Yuki shouted, whirling around, the serving tray tucked under his arm. "That's for my friend! Give it back right now!"

"Your friend?! You'd feed this monstrosity to your friend? How terrible – the strawberries should be not-quite ripe, the white chocolate ought to be _milk_ chocolate, and the flavors do _not_ mix well on the tongue. I should know, I _tried_ this awful thing."

"Don't insult Yuki's cooking!" Aki shouted before she could stop herself.

"Who the heck are you to talk anyway? Some sorta food critic?" Miho asked, glaring.

Riche looked dryly at them all. "Oh, I'm much more important than that... But I think I've spoken too much today. Might as well do some work, while I'm here."

He suddenly tossed the mille-feuille into the air and pulled out a Heartbreak Marker from his sleeve. Uncapping it, he swiftly drew a heart in the air, and slashed through it. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on out, Usotsuki!" he shouted.

The cake flashed a dark purple, and then an Usotsuki stood in the middle of the cafe. It looked like a giant version of the dessert it was made from, with one whole layer being its glowing red mouth, two glowing red eyes among the strawberry toppings, and it stood on two noodle-like legs. For arms, it had a giant knife and a giant fork. As it roared its own name over the sound of people screaming and fleeing the cafe, Yuki stared in horror.

"My...my best friend's snack!" he cried, turning his gaze to Riche. An instant later, he was glaring furiously. "What have you done?!" he shouted. "Return it to the way it-"

Riche casually shot another symbol at Yuki's chest, yawning in mock-boredom.

Yuki tensed up, eyes widening and pupils shrinking.

_"Yuki!"_ Aki screamed, standing up and running to him.

Yuki's face crumpled then, and he fell to his knees, wailing at the top of his lungs as tears streamed down his face in torrents.

"Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world!" Riche declared, a triumphant tone to his voice.

By Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over it.

Miho looked at everything in shock. "Guys – what is going-!"

"Run away, Miho!" Hiromi yelled, shoving her out of the booth.

"But what about-"

"Run! Get somewhere safe! We'll get Yuki safe and meet you shortly!" Hiromi yelled again.

Miho hesitated just a second, then turned and fled the cafe.

"Usotsuki, go wild!" Riche shouted.

"No..." Aki's voice was low as she gently guided the sobbing Yuki into the booth. Her head was bowed, eyes shadowed over. "No, you won't get away with this..."

Her head snapped up, fixing a glare on Riche as Hiromi joined her. "You won't get away with this!"

"Transform, girls, datchu!" Ti yelled.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!" **

"USOOOO!" the Usotsuki roared and swung it's knife-arm out. Instantly, a shower of butterknifes materialized out of thin air and shot towards the Cures.

Montague and Capulet leaped to either side, leaving the knifes to embed themselves into the wall behind them. Halfway into the wall.

"Yikes!" Capulet cried. "Montague, careful!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Montague shouted back, landing on a nearby table. Quickly, she seized a chair and, in one swift and fluid motion, lifted and flung it at the Usotsuki. The chair hit the monster's side with a splut, sticking to the creamy layer for a second before falling off.

"Uso..." the Usotsuki growled, an undertone of laughter to its guttural voice. "Ki!" it shouted again, bringing forward both arms and sending a spray of knives and forks at Cure Montague.

As Montague leaped aside again, Capulet ran up behind it, wielding a chair of her own. "Capulet..." she shouted, leaping into the air and holding the chair over her head. "Chair Smash!" she finished, breaking it over the top of the Usotsuki's head.

The Usotsuki flinched, but otherwise it had no effect. Its red eyes flashed in irritation, and it whirled around to face Capulet-

-Who promptly sucker-punched it in the face. "Capulet Punch!"

"Uso-kikikiki!" The Usotsuki was sent reeling backwards from the force of the blow, crashing into a few tables, including the one Montague was on.

Luckily for her, Cure Montague jumped off and landed safely on the floor a few feet away. "Nice one, Capulet!" she cheered.

In the relative safety of the booth, Yuki was still wailing, curled into a fetal ball in his seat. Up until now, his head had been down, his eyes screwed tightly shut as tears streamed from them. But now he lifted his head slightly, hiccuping a little between sobs.

His eyes widened, seeing the fight.

_"St-STOOOP!"_ he shrieked, sobbing starting anew. "Stop hurting Aki's treat! St-stop i-it! Stop it stop iiiit!"

"Oh, do _shut up,_" Riche growled, turning to glare at Yuki. "You made a disgusting concoction anyway! The only thing it's _good_ for is being an Usotsuki!"

"You're wrong!" Capulet yelled. She didn't look at Riche, instead running towards the Usotsuki and punching it in the strawberry layer. "Yuki worked hard to make that for Aki! It was meant to be enjoyed by her! Not to become this!"

"I wanted to eat Yuki's mille-feuille!" Montague added, hurling a table at the Usotsuki. The table shattered on impact, and the Usotsuki's legs buckled a bit before it roared and charged for Montague. Montague leaped up and out of the way. "Yuki's an amazing chef! Nothing he makes would be disgusting, least of all something he made for me!"

Yuki couldn't hear any of that, however. He was still crying, and at this point, let out a particular ear-piercing shriek.

"Usokiiii...quiet!" the monster yelled, flinging its fork arm-

-in Yuki's direction.

"Yuki!" both Cures shouted in horror. Both ran for the civilian, leaping over chairs, tables, debris, throwing themselves across the booth to reach him in time-

The forks embedded into the wall in the split-second after Montague and Capulet shoved him aside. Capulet screamed as some forks caught her skirts and one of her sleeves, pinning her to the wall. Another one _just_ missed hitting her nose.

Montague landed on the floor with a crash, her arms wrapped around Yuki protectively. She pushed herself up, eyes wide and breathing heavy. "Yuki!" Was he okay? Was he hurt at all? Her hand hovered over him anxiously, but after a moment of looking over him, he seemed fine. There were no external injuries; his crying was due to the heartbreak Riche had plunged him into.

She looked down at him for a moment more, then up at the Usotsuki. Her gaze softened, and she looked down at Yuki again. "I'm sorry, Yuki... I let your mille-feuille turn into that, and all you wanted was to make something nice for me..."

Yuki continued to sob, coughing up a little saliva now and then.

_Aki was crying._

"Something...nice for me after..."

_Yuki came up to her. "What's wrong?"_

Montague gasped as she lifted her head. Her eyes went wide, irises shrinking slightly. "After I'd-!"

* * *

><p><em>"Akiii! Kick it here!"<em>

_"Okay, here I go!" Aki declared. She ran forward, laughing joyfully. It was after school, just after they were able to wear their summer uniforms, and the whole class was playing a game of soccer. Aki and Yuki were on different teams that day, but that was fine. They still got to play together._

_Aki's brow furrowed in concentration, her tongue peeping out of her mouth. The shorts of her boys' uniform rustled slightly as she ran, pulled her foot back, and kicked._

_The ball flew forward, and Michiko from the other team intercepted it. "Ah! I got it, I got it!" she laughed, kicking it along past Aki, towards the goal._

_"Hey, no traveling with the ball!" someone yelled. Aki laughed and was just turning around to chase after her when-_

_"Jeez, Aki, you let a girl get the ball!"_

_That was fine, though. After all, Aki was-_

_"You gotta be better than that! You're a boy, ain't'cha?!"_

_Aki froze, smile vanishing immediately._

_"Yeah, come on, Aki! Guys are s'posed to be better than girls!"_

_"Get the ball, man!"_

_"Get her, Aki, come on! You're a **boy!"**_

_Aki had been standing stock-still that entire time, her fists at her side, her gaze straight ahead. But what none of her classmates noticed was the way her shoulders shook, how she bit her lower lip to try to keep her sobs in, how her tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "Uuh...u-uu..." she whimpered._

_"Aki!"_

_She couldn't take it anymore today. With a loud wail, Aki turned and ran off, heading out of the playground and towards the residential area._

_"Aki!" she heard her friends calling; some in anger, some in confusion. But she didn't look back._

_She didn't know how long she'd sat on that curb, sobbing and wiping her eyes. All she knew was that eventually, Yuki came up to her, the ball in his hands._

_"Aki...I told them soccer wasn't fun anymore today and got your ball back," he said, tilting his head._

_Aki paid him no mind._

_So Yuki came over to sit next to her. "What's the matter, Aki? Is it 'cause Michiko took the ball? Because she's the best runner in Sports Day, so you shouldn't-"_

_"I'm – hic – n-not... a b-boy..." Aki sobbed._

_"Huh?" Yuki blinked._

_Aki's fists lowered from her dirty, tear-stained face to rest in her lap. She looked at Yuki, sniffling and trying to calm down. "I'm not a boy!" she yelled._

_Yuki blinked, but said nothing._

_Aki just looked back down at her knees and kept crying. She only began to calm down when a tiny hand touched her shoulder, and she looked back up to see Yuki smiling at her._

_"Okay. So you're a girl, Aki?"_

_Aki hiccuped and nodded. "U-Uh-huh..."_

_"Okay. So we should tell our friends they were real mean, calling you a boy. And sayin' girls aren't as good at soccer." Yuki frowned. "You're good at it, and you're a girl!"_

_Aki just stared for a second, then nodded once, sobbing again. But she felt...lighter, somehow. Hearing Yuki say she was a girl, it made her feel happy..._

_"Wow, but we were callin' you a boy all year...even at Christmas..." Yuki mumbled, staring wide-eyed. "Even Teacher called you a boy!"_

_"I-it's o-okay...th-they didn't know..."_

_"Nuh-uh! Even I called ya a boy, and I'm your best friend! I gotta do something special for you!" He smiled. "Hey, I like helping Mommy in the kitchen! I can make you somethin'! What d'ya like?"_

_Aki sniffed. "M-Mille-feuille..." she said, the word effortlessly rolling off her tongue. Of course, Sebastian had told the chef to make it for her all the time. Of course she knew how to say it._

_Yuki looked a little confused, but asked: "What's your favorite flavor?"_

_"I like wh-white chocolate...a-and strawberries..."_

_"Okay then!" Yuki grinned. "To say sorry, and 'cause you're my best friend ever, I'm gonna make you that! And it'll be the very bestest in the world, **ever!"**_

* * *

><p>Montague stared down at her friend, her eyes shimmering slightly. "...you remembered," she whispered. "All that time, you...you were doing it just for me..."<p>

Her hands curled into fists, the knuckles against the floor, arms trembling slightly. "You made it for _me,_ and it...It became a monster...That's so cruel...I'm so sorry, Yuki... This is too cruel."

Riche sighed loudly, fingertips at his temples. "I've heard enough out of you, Cures. Usotsuki," he said, snapping his fingers. "Finish the job."

"Usoooo-!"

_"No!"_ A wave of forks and spoons and a small spray of plaster flew at the Usotsuki, embedding into its front. As the Usotsuki cried out in shock and pain, Montague glared at it, her arm's position indicating she'd flung the silverware. Her muscles were rigid, her teeth bared ferociously.

"This is too cruel!" she yelled. "You've taken a beautiful symbol of friendship and love and turned it into something heartbreaking! Yuki worked very hard on making me a mille-feuille, and you did _this_ to it right in front of him!"

"It's a disgusting-" Riche began.

"It was _not_ disgusting!" Montague screamed, eyes squeezing shut, a few tears leaking from them. _"Yuki made me that, and I know it's the best thing ever! He made this just for me, to make me happy, and I won't let you call it disgusting! I won't stand for this!"_

Montague's eyes closed as she clapped her hands at chest-level before flinging her arms out. A blue, glowing heart materialized in front of her, sparks of purple surrounding and being pulled inside of it as the faint chime of bells was heard. **"Sound of the Bells!"** The heart burst apart into a shower of sparks, revealing her Rapier Wand. **"Sword of the Montague Family!"** She pulled her arm back, then swiped forward, snatching the Rapier Wand and briefly holding it behind her. She then thrust it back in front of her, and kept going to draw a sparkling purple heart outline before her. More sparks of blue light were pulled into it as she yelled **"Pretty Cure...Majestic Amethyst...Shoot!"**

At the last word, she thrust her sword out, sending the heart at the Usotsuki. The Usotsuki only had time to widen its eyes in shock before the heart slammed into it, bathing it in an amethyst glow. "U-Uso...ki..." it mumbled weakly before disintegrating.

In a few moments, the scenery seemed to shift around everyone, and all the broken furniture became whole and neat again. The forks and knives vanished, leaving the walls undamaged. Cure Capulet fell to the booth's seat as she was dropped out of captivity. It was as if nothing had happened.

Riche gaped, then tsk'd and looked away. "To think someone could love such a disgusting dessert..." he grumbled, then teleported away.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Aki, are you ready for the best thing you've ever tasted in your life?"<p>

"Sure am, Yuki! Lay it on me!"

Yuki grinned, apparently not remembering a thing as he set a mille-feuille before his best friend. "Okay, now I wanna see that first bite, remember!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Aki laughed, taking a forkful of mille-feuille and depositing it into her mouth. After a moment of chewing, she grinned, face flushing as she clasped her hands to her cheeks. "Aaaaaaaaaahn~! Yuki, this is the best!"

"Anything for my best friend!" Yuki grinned.

"But, hey...you know..."

"Hm?" Yuki blinked. Aki had stopped blushing, and while she was still smiling, it looked more subdued, warmer instead of outright cheery. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't have to hold to that promise. I mean...I would have been perfectly happy even if you'd never made that mille-feuille you said you'd make. You didn't have to go this far."

"A-Ah, right..." Yuki blushed awkwardly, putting his hand behind his neck. "But...when I said that, I wanted to make you smile again. And I kept thinking, I should make you happy, make you smile. That was why-"

"Yuki...I never needed you to make a mille-feuille." Aki's eyes glistened slightly. "I was just happy with you calling me a girl...You're my very best friend, Yuki...I knew you loved me, I never needed mille-feuille to keep knowing that."

Yuki gasped quietly, and then his own eyes begna shining. He covered his mouth with his hand and looked away, sniffling slightly. "A-Aki, you're making me look so uncool..."

Aki laughed.

Meanwhile, Hiromi sat at a table a few spaces away, content to give the two friends their privacy. She sniffled over her own mille-feuille, dabbing her eyes with a napkin. "This makes me so happy..." she whispered to herself.

Coffee and Ti peered over the opening of her bag, similar tears in their own eyes.

"Me too..."

"Datchu..."

"'ey, Hiromi..."

Hiromi lowered the napkin and looked up to see Miho frowning down at her. "A-Ah, Miho! You made it back!"

"Yeah..." Miho muttered, then fixed Hiromi with a hard look. "Can you tell me what was up with all that glowing, and the monster and those dresses you two had on?"

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Miho: "Something's going on with you guys, and I wanna know what!"

Hiromi: "A-aaah but it's dangerous for you to know!"

Aki: "I say let her. She's already seen us."

Hiromi: "A-Ah, speaking of seeing... Mirai, what's wrong?!"

Mirai: "I-I've lost The Sight..."

Hiromi: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'The Psychic is Losing Her Touch! The Bad Luck Streak! ' Let love heal your heart!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Did you finish the homework, Hiromi?"

"Ah, yes..."

"Great! Hey, how'd you do with the Literature essay?"

"I think I did well, Aki." Pause. "This means you didn't, did you?"

Aki laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, you know me...I really don't have a head for this like you do." Her expression became serious. "You don't think I'll get a low score on it, do you?"

"Probably not. As long as you didn't just regurgitate the material, Mrs Matoko will give you a good enough score."

"Nah, I didn't. I had to for some parts, to explain why I thought the way I did, but-"

Miho suddenly appeared between them, grabbing their shoulders to stop them in their tracks. _"Heeeey! Don't pretend the other day didn't happen!"_ she shouted.

Hiromi and Aki sighed. So much for hoping...

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"Alright, now spill!" Miho demanded, hands on her hips. She stood in the middle of the sidewalk, facing Hiromi and Aki. "What's with the monster? What was the deal with the dresses and the sword things? And don't think I don't see you two!" she suddenly added, looking down at Hiromi's bag.<p>

The top lifted up, Ti and Coffee peered out sheepishly. "Hi, datchu..."

"Hi." Miho smiled for a second before looking back at Hiromi and Aki. "Now, come on, tell me what's- Geh!"

Mirai bumped into Miho as she stumbled past, her head bowed so her bangs shadowed her eyes. After a second, she stopped, gasping and lifting her head. As she turned around to see who she'd bumped into, she paled a bit and mumbled "I didn't see that coming...I didn't see that..." Muttering to herself, she turned back around and continued on her way to school.

The others just stood there, staring. Hiromi's brows knitted, and she bit her lip. "Mirai?"

Miho sighed loudly. "Get to school and talk to her then, sheesh...But this ain't over, you two!" she called, hands cupped around her mouth as the other girls ran off. "I'll find out what's up, you wait and see!"

* * *

><p>Mirai was already sitting at her desk, head in her arms when Hiromi and Aki approached.<p>

The two girls glanced at each other for a second before Hiromi stepped forward. "U-Uhm...Mirai? Are you okay? Are you sick?"

Mirai groaned and shook her head.

"Do you wanna go home?" Aki asked, stepping forward.

"Nnnn..."

"Mirai?"

Mirai suddenly lifted her head, eyes shining with unshed tears. "I can't _see!"_ she wailed.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: The Psychic is Losing Her Touch! The Bad Luck Streak!<p>

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, 'can't see?'" Hiromi asked. "You're seeing Aki and I just fine!"<p>

Mirai blew her nose on the handkerchief Aki offered her. "N-No, not that!" she sniffled. "I mean, I can't properly see what'll happen! My premonitions have been off all morning!"

"Like what?" said Aki.

Mirai sniffed again, taking a clean corner of the handkerchief and dabbing at her eyes. "W-Well, it started th-this morning..."

* * *

><p><em>Mirai hurried down the stairs, tying one of her ponytails as she went. When she reached the bottom, an older boy with pink hair exited his own, first-floor room. "Ah, Big Brother!"<em>

_"Mornin', Mirai." He tried to walk past her, but the sudden tug on his sleeve gave him pause. The high-school senior looked down. "What is it?"_

_"Big Brother..." Mirai began seriously, then smiled gently. "Today will be a refreshing day for you."_

_"Really?" He grinned, and ruffled the top of Mirai's hair. "Thanks! That makes me feel pretty confident, sis." As they spoke, they made their way to the breakfast table, where their mother was just turning around with a tray in her hands._

_In the next moment, she bumped into the taller boy, upsetting the pitcher of orange juice on top. It wobbled for just a second before pitching over, utterly drenching him._

_"Oh! Satoshi, I'm so sorry!" Mirai's mother gasped, grabbing a kitchen towel and hastily drying his hair. When he said nothing, just glowered straight ahead, she looked over to Mirai. "Mirai, sweetheart, can you do two things for me? Get another towel from the bathroom, and get another carton of juice from the fridge."_

_"Y-yes!" Mirai went to the fridge first, it being closest. Behind her, she heard the muted murmurs of her mother, trying to decide if Satoshi ought to stay home or wear casuals to school. No time for laundry, she was saying. Mirai gulped nervously, then opened the fridge..._

_And came face-to-face with the orange juice her mother wanted her to get. 'Try Oranji-chan OJ!' the box declared in bright orange print. 'It's **refreshing**!'_

* * *

><p>Mirai groaned loudly and put her face back against her desk. "And that was just the beginning! I had a premonition that my neighbor would have a stroke of luck, and then a <em>black<em> cat crossed her path! And then I had a feeling one of those nice salarymen on my street would feel cleansed, and then someone poured their bathwater outside right on his head! All my visions are ill omens!" She put her arms around her head and began weeping comically.

Hiromi and Aki exchanged a look. "So...it's not so much you _can't_ see, but that you see bad things and don't even know it," Aki said.

"If only I could know it was a bad thing, I could warn them! I'm a _sham_ now!" she wailed again, attracting the attention of a few students filtering into the classroom.

Hiromi laughed awkwardly, waving a hand in front of her face before she bent low to whisper to Mirai. "M-Mirai, please, it's okay! You're just having an off-day! I'm sure in a few days you'll be back in top form."

"I can't even see to know if you're right..." Mirai whimpered.

"Hey, c'mon, buck up!" Aki said, forcing herself to laugh. "C'mon, c'mon, try this. What homework is Mrs Matoko going to ask us about when she comes in today?"

A short pause. "Math."

The door slid open, and Mrs Matoko strode in, carrying her usual stack of papers. "O-_kay_, guys!" she said. "Let's talk really quick about the science homework-"

A loud cry of _'I'm so pathetic!'_, made Mrs Matoko drop her papers everywhere.

* * *

><p>"Heeeeey... have you noticed Shylock hasn't been around lately?" Tamora said, looking at Riche upside-down. She was draped over the luxurious armchair , her legs over one of its arms and her head over the other, idly kicking her legs. As she watched Riche try to ignore her, she reached for the little table to grab a cookie – helpfully provided by Lady. "I mean, sure, he was always real quiet and stuff anyway, but I haven't seen him lurkin' for a few days now. You think he's avoiding us?"<p>

"It's no concern of mine what Shylock does in his spare time," muttered Riche before he took a sip of tea.

"But it's so _weird_," Tamora insisted. She took a bite of cookie and began speaking around it, a few crumbs spraying out. "And you know, Lady's gone today too!"

"She said she was busy with something for Break."

At those words the room's temperature seemed to plummet. Ah, Break... Tamora swallowed her cookie with difficulty.

For a while, neither said anything. Then Tamora spoke up again. "I wonder where Shylock _is_, though..."

* * *

><p>The final bell rang, and the students began packing up. Mirai let out a loud, shaky sigh and stood up, gathering her things and shuffling out of the room.<p>

Aki and Hiromi traded glances before Hiromi called out to her. "Hey, uhm...Mirai? Do you want to hang out with us today?"

"Yeah! We were gonna go see that new Magical Idol flick, but you can come, too."

Hiromi glanced at Aki and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Eh? But I wanted to see the-"

Mirai just smiled weakly, hovering in the doorway for a moment. "N-No, it's okay...I just...I need to see the bunnies for a bit," she mumbled, head bowing. "I'll be okay, girls, don't worry about me." Just as she was leaving the room, another student came in. She paused to glance up at him. "Ah... I think you'll have a surprise."

"Eh? What kind of surprise?" asked the student.

Mirai frowned harder. "...I don't know." With another small sigh, she left and walked down the hall.

After only a second of hesitation, Hiromi and Aki followed.

Behind them, the male student could be heard yelling "Hey, someone took my textbook!"

* * *

><p>Mirai shuffled towards the large rabbit hutch, reaching into her schoolbag and taking out some carrots in a plastic bag. "Usagi-chan will be happy to have a treat today," she said with a small, rueful smile. "At least I don't need to see good things to know that much."<p>

She opened the door to the hutch, holding up her bag of treats as she spoke. "Usagi-chan! I brought-"

Someone else was in the hutch.

"Some-"

Someone who clearly wasn't a student, judging by the lack of uniform.

"...carrots?"

* * *

><p>The girl stopped in her tracks, the bag lowering back to her side as she stared.<p>

Shylock looked up from the rabbits, staring right back at her.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>"Usagi-chan seems to really like you, er - Shylock."<p>

"M-hm." Shylock nodded, stroking the rabbit's head as it nibbled the carrot he offered it. His eyes shifted to look at Mirai, his stoic expression unchanging. "I hope my presence wasn't a disturbance for you."

Mirai shook her head once, smiling gently as she watched Usagi-chan eat. "No, not really. I was a bit surprised to see a non-student here, but..." Her smile faded slightly. "...but with my luck today, I guess I should have known I'd be surprised today."

Shylock turned his head to look at her, frowning lightly. "What do you mean?"

"W-Well..." Mirai began, but her words died in her throat. Why was she even about to tell this guy about her gift anyways? Sure, her classmates knew, but she'd gone to school with them her whole life! They were used to it. And this person... "I've been having a bad day...Something happened to make me really sad, that's all."

Shylock looked back at the rabbit, and set the carrot down in front of it on the ground. He stood up, bracing his hands on his knees. "...I have some time," he muttered.

"Eh?" Mirai's eyes widened as Shylock seized her hand. "Eh?!"

"If you've been feeling sad, Miss Mirai..." he began.

* * *

><p>Aki and Hiromi walked down the sidewalk, out of their uniforms and in their casual clothes. Hiromi carried her messenger bag over her shoulder, Ti and Coffee peering out of it to watch the scenery. "Do you think it was okay, leaving Mirai with the bunnies?" she asked quietly.<p>

"Well...she said she just needed to be alone, right?" Aki said, a little awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "If that's the case, we can't force her to say anything..."

"I know but – _Eh?!"_ Hiromi suddenly yelped, grabbing Aki by the elbow, and pulled her into the space between two of the buildings. After a few seconds to make sure they hadn't been spotted, she slowly peeked out from around the building, staring at the outdoor cafe some feet away.

"Geez, Hiromi, what gives?!" Aki complained, her head appearing above Hiromi's. "There was no need to - _eh?!"_ she cried, seeing the same thing Hiromi had.

At the outdoor cafe, sitting at one of the outdoor tables, was Mirai. And she was eating a strawberry ice-cream. But the odd part was the fact that Shylock was sitting across from her, idly toying with a spoon.

"Wha- what's _he_ doing here?!" Coffee whispered loudly, hugging Ti protectively to her chest.

"He who?"

The duo yelped again, looking up to see Miho standing on her tiptoes to peer over their heads.

"Does he have something to do with whatever you're in?" Miho asked, staring hard at Shylock and Mirai.

"Er – yeah..." Hiromi stuttered, then looked back to where he sat with Mirai. "I think he's-"

"Not planning anything, datchu."

Everyone looked down at Ti. The mouse fairy was staring intently at Shylock and Mirai, a serious look on his face. "He's got her by herself, he had to have met her at school...but no one's sad, datchu. No one's suffering or crying... And they're just talking to each other, datchu. I don't think he's actually planning anything today!"

"Hm, maybe...But maybe we should keep an eye on – hey! Hey, they're moving, they're moving!" Aki whispered loudly, tugging Hiromi's sleeve.

* * *

><p>Mirai stood up, gathering her schoolbag and smiling at Shylock. "Thank you for the ice-cream."<p>

"You're welcome," Shylock muttered as he stood, too. "Someone special to me used to eat strawberry ice-cream when she was sad. I hoped it might help you as well."

"W-Well it did a little," Mirai said with a small chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. As the two of them began walking away from the cafe and down the road, she went quiet, brows lowering. After a moment, she looked up at him again, as if a thought had struck her. "You're still friends?"

Shylock's eyes widened a fraction before they closed, and he shook his head. "...no. I said and did a few things that were unforgivable. I think it's clear we can never be that close anymore."

Mirai sighed, shoulders slumping. Geez, so she was _still_ off. But it was weird, she had this odd feeling here; she was so sure she was right. Wait a minute! He'd said no! "A-Ah, I'm sorry to hear that, Shylock!" she gasped, hands over her mouth. "And...and they were so important to you, too," she whispered. "Is there a chance you could make up with them?"

Shylock was quiet for a moment. "I don't think so," he said at last. "She was very angry when I last spoke with her. I'm sure she doesn't want to see me again." He turned to look at her. "We're getting off the subject of you, though. Why were you sad?"

"Er..." Mirai looked away, eyes shifting uncomfortably. "I've uhm...been having a bad day."

"Would you like to explain?"

"Well..." Mirai bit her lower lip.

* * *

><p>As the duo walked, three people with their faces hidden in open newspapers followed them.<p>

Hiromi, blushing red, turned her head to stare at Aki behind her paper. "Isn't this a bit obvious, Aki?" she whispered.

"Nah. Lots of people read newspapers and walk at the same time~"

"Where do you base _that_ information?!"

Miho grinned, peeking over her own newspaper. "I dunno, I think it's pretty cool. I feel like I'm in a secret club with you guys!"

Coffee shushed them all. "Would you three keep it down?!"

* * *

><p>Shylock and Mirai paused in front of a storefront window. They hadn't gone very far, staying within the shopping district. As Mirai talked, she kept staring at a mannequin in a frilly white and mint dress. Maybe she liked the dress herself, maybe she just wanted to look anywhere <em>but<em> her companion.

"I'm usually so sure of things. I know what to do with myself, what to say to others... But today has been one giant 'off' day," she said. "Nothing I say, er, comes out right. I'm sure I made some of my friends mad at me, and my brother's probably mad too... I feel horrible, like maybe I'll never be the same again."

"...is that all?"

"Eh?" Mirai glanced up, a distressed look on her face. "What do you mean-?!"

Shylock stared through the window himself, eyeing the same dress Mirai had been. "I mean... Everyone has bad days. Everyone says things they don't mean, or things they wish they could take back. Everyone does things they wish they could change, redo. Sometimes we can't though. We can't fix everything we do, or take back everything we say...

"But in your case, it's very simple. Just apologize and promise to do better."

Mirai blinked. "Wha? But-"

"That's all there is to it, is there? You said you caused juice to spill on your brother, so just apologize and offer to clean his uniform. It's such a minor thing, though, he's probably already forgotten. You said you caused someone to have bad luck, but I'm sure they don't even see it that way. They know you really had nothing to do with it – unless you actually threw your hand to them and said 'Have bad luck forever!' You didn't, did you?"

Mirai managed a small laugh. "W-Well, no..."

"You didn't have the right homework for your friend, that's fine too. Everyone makes mistakes, no one's perfect. You just have to apologize for what _is_ in your control, and try to forget the things that _aren't._" He smiled ruefully. "At least you actually _can_."

Mirai stared at his profile a moment longer, then looked back to the dress on display. Thinking back on it... The orange juice hadn't been her fault, really, had it? S-Sure, she'd said her brother would be refreshed, and the juice had that word in its slogan, but it wasn't like she actively poured juice on him. A-And he couldn't even blame her for not warning him either because...

Well, nothing was absolute, was it? She could only say what she knew. And with how vague some of her premonitions were, well, it should be expected that some wouldn't be what one expected. And a lot of this...well, it hadn't hurt anyone, really, had it?

Black cats were good luck in some countries, after all!

"I – I guess you're right!" she finally said, smiling. "But hey," she added, expression growing serious. "You should talk to that special person you have, okay?"

"Hm?"

"You told me to just apologize for what I could control, but you say it's too late for you? That's just hypocritical and cowardly! Er, sorry..." Mirai mumbled, hand behind her head again. "But I mean it. You need to try again! Talk to her and say you're sorry for whatever it was you did, and see if you can start over! ...you were telling the truth when you said it was your fault, right?"

"Yes."

"Then if that's the case, apologize anyway! If I gotta do something, so do you, okay, Shylock?"

Shylock stared at her, eyes slightly widened. What a weird girl she was... What did she even care if – She didn't even know him and here she was, looking at him sternly with her hands on her hips, waiting for him to just _say_ something. Say he would, he understood. She didn't even know him.

But then, he hadn't known her either. And here he was, giving her advice.

After a moment's pause, he chuckled quietly, smiling just a little. "Alri-"

The symbol of a heart with a strike through it shot out, and struck Mirai in the chest. She tensed up in the second before she began screaming and crying, tears pouring from her eyes as she fell to her knees.

"Mirai?!" Shylock gasped, reaching for her.

"Mirai!" Two voices pierced the air. A second later, Hiromi and Aki charged forward, newspapers tossed into the air to be forgotten. They went to either side of Mirai, hugging her and trying to lift her off the ground.

"Mirai! Mirai, hang in there!" Hiromi shouted.

"What happened to her?!" Miho cried, rushing up to join them. She carried Hiromi's bag, Ti and Coffee still inside. After a second, Miho moved her gaze from the sobbing Mirai to Shylock, readying the bag as if she wanted to throw it. "What did you do to her, weirdo?!" she cried.

"I-" he began.

Another symbol shot between them, smashing through the window and hitting the mannequin in the white dress. It flashed purple once, then the windowframe was torn apart as a large mannequin Usotsuki shoved its way through. It was black all over, the lovely white dress now a dusky purple. The mannequin's face was featureless for just a moment, before suddenly red, glowing eyes snapped open on it, and a similarly-red grin split its face. "Usokiiiii~" it shrieked.

Shylock stared in disbelief for a second before glancing towards the horizon. Where had-?

"Miho! Get Mirai somewhere safe!" Aki yelled, transferring Mirai into Miho's arms.

Miho nodded once before, with surprising strength, she hoisted Mirai up and carried her away, bridal-style. Once she vanished into the throng of screaming, panicking people fleeing the scene, Aki and Hiromi glared up at the Usotsuki.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"**

"USOKIII!" The Usotsuki waved its hand, and a giant parasol with a sharpened tip appeared in its grip. It seized it with both hands, hefted it over its head, and stabbed downwards.

Cuplet and Montague jumped away in two separate directions, looking between the swiftly-recovering Usotsuki and Shylock. "Call it off!" Montague yelled.

Shylock just stood there, looking at something in the distance. Then he glanced at the Cures. "You two are strong," he said simply. "You two can handle it." And then he teleported away.

"That guy-!" Capulet yelled in frustration, grabbing the parasol's tip as the Usotsuki swung it at her. She held tight for a moment before thrusting herself upwards to jump above it and land on the parasol proper. After taking a split-second to get her footing, she ran down the parasol as the Usotsuki tried to shake her off. "Don't..." she growled before leaping up. "Underestimate us!" she finished, punching the creature between the eyes and mouth.

"Even without your creator here, we'll still take you!" Montague added, landing from her own initial leap. She lost no time in racing towards the Usotsuki, and slammed her first hard into one of its exposed shins.

This, unfortunately, turn out to be a mistake. Capulet was still on the Usotsuki's face when it reared back from the force of Montague's attack. The pink and gold Cure screamed as she suddenly found herself sliding down its smooth face-

-And grabbed the top of its open mouth, staring in a mixture of terror and shock down its glowing red throat. _"Montague!"_ she screamed.

"Capulet! Capulet, hang on!" she yelled back, leaping upwards. She reached her hand out, intending on grabbing her out of danger, only to be struck down by the parasol. "Kyah!"

_"Montague! _**_Aki!"_** Capulet yelled again, sweat beading at her temples and tricking down her face. But it wasn't just a terror-sweat.

From where she dangled, she suddenly understood why Usotsuki's eyes and mouth were glowing red. She was staring down into a furnace, it felt like, seeing everything glowing red-hot. The Usotsuki's throat was like a large, ridged tunnel, flames licking the sides and making it blaze red. It was hard to see where it ended, or how, as no matter how Capulet looked, all she could see was glowing red. Her hands slipped a little, struggling to keep hold.

The Usotsuki's grin widened, making Capulet's grip nearly release.

And then it suddenly inhaled.

"Capulet!"

Capulet's hands slipped.

_"AAAAAH!"_

"Leave them **_alone!"_**

The Usotsuki roared suddenly, sending Capulet _away_ from its mouth.

Capulet flew back, head over heels, and right into Montague's arms. "M-Montague-!"

"Capulet! Capulet, are you okay?!" she cried.

"I – I think so-" But the look on her face told a different story. She clung desperately to her girlfriend, shaking like a leaf until they landed on the street below. "But who-?"

Both Cures looked up to see Miho, another parasol in her hands and jabbing into the Usotsuki's leg. Her teeth were grit furiously, brows lowered. "Leave me friends alone, you creep!" she yelled, then looked to the Cures. "Capulet, Montague, do the thing!"

After a second of stunned silence, they both nodded. "R-Right!"

**"Entwine! Our hearts are one! Pretty Cure...Dual Heart Strike!"**

The attack blasted the Usotsuki right where a person's heart would be. It tensed up, eyes and mouth widening as a glowing, heart-shaped hole appeared, and it slowly disintegrated from inside and outward. "U-uso..." it murmured weakly.

Miho dropped her parasol and ran to the Cures. Once she reached them, she threw her arms around Capulet and hugged her tight. "It's okay, Capulet..." she whispered. "You're okay..."

Montague began murmuring the same thing, gently wrapping her arms around Capulet's shoulders and nuzzling her hair.

Capulet just stood there on trembling legs, her Rapier Wand dangling limply between her fingers. Slowly, as the scenery shifted and everything returned to the way it was before, her face crumpled, and finally she began to cry in sheer relief.

* * *

><p>A short time later, Mirai was standing back at the shop window, admiring the dress once again. To look at her, it was as if nothing had happened to her in the slightest.<p>

Good.

"I was kinda surprised to run into you two," she admitted, glancing at Hiromi and Aki. "Did you two follow me?"

"W-Well, you seemed really sad about your sight and all, we couldn't leave you alone! Right, Hiromi?"

"Of course!"

"And when I heard a friend of my friends was in trouble, ffft, I couldn't stay away either," Miho chimed in from behind them, a soda in her hand.

Mirai giggled. "It's okay...I met someone, and I think I'll be okay after all. He told me everything would be fine, and I think I helped him a little bit too."

"Really?" asked Hiromi, smiling awkwardly.

Mirai's eyes softened. "I called my brother to ask if he was mad about the juice... And the funny thing is, he wasn't at all. And then he told me that my neighbor, the one who met the black cat, actually adopted it. She loves kitties, see, and shortly after she took it in and put a collar on it, the black cat starting catching and eating the bugs that were eating her flowers! I guess she got lucky after all!"

Aki and Hiromi shared a look, smiling a bit more naturally now. "Well, that's wonderful!" Hiromi said.

"So how d'you think you helped that guy?" asked Miho, taking a loud sip of her drink.

"Well...I gave him some advice. And you know, for a second, I got another premonition." Mirai's smile brightened as she looked skyward. "He's going to feel like a whole new person, a great rebirth! Isn't that wonderful?"

* * *

><p>Shylock entered the main room of Heartbreak Manor, his eyes scanning it for his allies. There was only Lady, preparing the table for another tea party. "Lady."<p>

"Ah, Shylock, welcome home," she said with a small smile, straightening up. "How was your trip?"

"It went well... Until an Usotsuki appeared. I did not summon one, so I am curious as to how it got there."

Lady's smile didn't fade, but it did tense a bit. "...when I spoke to Break," she said at last. "They were a little upset... Perhaps Break themselves sent the Usotsuki, because they were unsure of your own intentions."

Shylock said nothing, just went towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Lady called.

"To get a snack."

* * *

><p>Their captor sat in her room, watching the river below. Earlier, it had started churning and frothing again, more of that awful black lightning of sorrow appearing. Her hand rested on the glass and pressed tight, as if she wanted to smash through it.<p>

She was startled by a light knocking at her door, then the sound of it pushing open, and closing.

When she looked up, she saw a small bowl of strawberry ice-cream.

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "Waaah, it's nearly Aki's birthday and I still haven't gotten her a gift!"

Coffee: "Hiromi, whatever you get her, I'm sure she'll love it!"

Hiromi: "N-No, it has to be very special!"

Ti: "And then you need to figure out what to wear to the birthday party."

Hiromi: "Eeeehhh?! I forgot about the party! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'A Gift From My Heart! These Are My Feelings!' Let love heal your heart!"


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm off!" Yuki called over his shoulder as he stepped out of the house one Friday morning. He took a moment to adjust his backpack straps, then headed out... Only to stop when he saw a pink envelope poking out of the mailbox. "Eh?" He took it out and opened it, reading the paper inside.

His eyes went wide. "This is..."

* * *

><p>Antoinette stood outside her own house, staring at the pink stationary in her hands. Blush tinted her face as she read. "This is..."<p>

* * *

><p>Mirai stood outside her front door, ignoring her brother yelling at her to get out of the way and let him go to school. In her hand was a similar paper. "This is..."<p>

* * *

><p>"Hiromi!" called Emi.<p>

"Hm?" Hiromi looked up from her breakfast plate, swallowing the bite of egg in her mouth.

"This came for you in the mail," her sister said, handing her a pink envelope.

"Oooooh, Hiromi~ Is it a love letter?~" cooed Kiyomi, elbowing her in the side.

Hiromi blushed darkly but said nothing as she opened the envelope. After scanning the paper for a second, her eyes widened. "This is..."

_You Are Cordially Invited to Misaki Oshiro's Fifteenth..._

"B-birthday?!"

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"That's right~!" Aki grinned. "This Sunday, you four are invited to my house for the party."<p>

They were at school now, crowded around Hiromi's desk. Homeroom hadn't started just yet, so of course now was a great time to talk about the invitations that'd been sent out.

"But just us? _And_ you gave most of your staff the day off?" Antoinette made a noise in the back of her throat as she looked around the classroom. "Aki, dear, I love you and you're a sweetheart, but won't this be a lonely party?"

"Not really!" Aki said cheerfully, keeping her voice down so no one else could hear. "You four are the ones closest to me in this whole class, so why would I want to invite anyone else? I mean...we're classmates, but you guys are my _friends_. So's Miho, she's invited, too."

Antoinette blushed and looked away, coughing into her hand.

Hiromi gave her a nervous look before looking back at the invitation. "Do you want us to bring presents, Aki?"

"Only if you want to. I'd just be happy if you all showed up! Though if you can't, that's fine too."

Mirai suddenly shivered and hugged herself. "Ah, a premonition! This party will be fun, and at least one of us will have a great memory!"

"Mirai, that's not a premonition, we all know that," Yuki sighed.

As the others laughed, Hiromi just stared at the invitation, biting her lower lip nervously.

"By the way, who's Miho?" Yuki added.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: A Gift From My Heart! These Are My Feelings!<p>

* * *

><p>"A birthday party! With lots of cake!" Coffee squealed over the invitation after school that day.<p>

"I bet it'll be better than the last birthday I attended, datchu..." Ti murmured, prompting Coffee to start patting him.

"Don't worry, Your Highness! This party'll be better, promise." Coffee looked up at Hiromi. "What are you going to get her?"

"W-Well, I-" Hiromi blinked, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "H-Hey, why are you two here, anyway? Shouldn't you be with Aki?"

"Well we were, but she said everyone would be running around preparing for the party and she didn't want us to have the surprise spoiled," Coffee said. "Don't change the subject! What are you getting Aki?"

"Well..." Hiromi tugged at one of her ponytails, looking around the room. What _should_ she get Aki? A cookbook seemed kinda mean, like she was telling Aki to make her own sweets instead of accepting her Granny's or Yuki's. "Well, maybe..."

Her gaze fell upon a few boxes in the corner of her desk. She'd gotten them for her own birthday a few years ago, but had never bothered to use them. She hadn't really...well, it wasn't that she hadn't had time, it was just that she never got around to using them. "Hmm..." Hiromi got up from from the edge of her bed and walked to the desk. Pulling the clear boxes out, she eyed the large, brightly-colored sticker on the lid.

**"Lovely Jewelry Kit!"**

"Maybe..."

* * *

><p>"Hiromi! Dinnertime!" Emi called up from the bottom of the stairs. There was no answer. "Hiromi!" Still no answer.<p>

Emi stood there for a moment before shouting up the stairs. "Hi-ro-mi, get down here right _now!_"

"I'm busy, Emi! Sorry!" came the only reply.

Emi puffed her cheeks out in annoyance. "Oh,_ no_, she doesn't," she muttered to herself. "Hiromi, I worked really hard to make this dinner, so you're coming down whether you-!"

Emi was stopped from going upstairs by a large, but gentle, hand on her shoulder. She blinked and looked next to her. "Dad?"

Daisuke Satou smiled gently, his eyes closed. "Let her be, sweetheart," he said. "I'll bring her a plate later."

* * *

><p>Hiromi stayed up long into the night. At some point her sisters had knocked on her door to announce they were going to bed, so she shut her light off and turned on the small desk lamp instead. The night drew on, the background noises she was so accustomed to faded into silence, and Ti and Coffee fell asleep on her pillow.<p>

Finally, Hiromi glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Eh? Two in the morning?" She looked back down at her creations: a pair of rose-shaped post earrings with a tiny space for a gem in the centers. They hadn't been painted yet, so they looked a little plain, but that was fine. She'd just paint them tomorrow. "I'll have to get some paint and jewel glue from town," she yawned, pushing back her chair.

She took off her glasses and changed into a long nightgown, gently lifted her pillow aside to rest her head on the mattress, and smiled a little. Aki's birthday... She blushed as she thought, _I hope she likes her present..._

* * *

><p>The next afternoon, Hiromi had a skip to her step as she walked through the shopping district. Her messenger bag swayed at her hip, prompting Coffee to pop out and glare at her. "Hiromi!" Coffee scolded. "His Highness is getting dizzy!"<p>

"Sick, datchu..." came the pitiful noise from inside.

"Ahaha, sorry..." Hiromi laughed nervously as she stopped. "I'm just so excited..."

"You can't wait for Aki to see your present, huh, datchu?" Ti managed to say from the darkness of the bag.

Hiromi blushed and nodded. "U-Uhm – I really hope she-"

"Hiromi!"

Hiromi let out a short scream, shoving Coffee back into the bag and closing the flap as Yuki left the shop she stood in front of. Forcing a laugh, she turned to face him. "H-Hi!" she said, too fast.

Luckily for her, Yuki didn't seem to notice. "Are you shopping for Aki's present?"

"Eh? You're getting her one, too?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, she said we didn't have to, but I sorta feel I should anyway. Anyways, check it out!" Yuki held up the clear plastic box tied with sparkly blue ribbon. Inside, Hiromi could see stacks of assorted mini-cheesecakes – all of them looking very fancy and professionally-made. "And look!" He held up a blue wrapped item. "It's a book of how to make everything in this book. You know, so she can do it herself too if she likes."

"Ah...I uh, had considered a cookbook myself...Good thing I didn't go with that, then," Hiromi chuckled sheepishly.

"Good thing. Aki still likes to bake with her Granny some weekends, so I thought she'd like this."

_'She does? I thought her Granny did the baking herself now!'_ Hiromi thought, in a mild panic.

"Did you decide what you're getting her?"

"Uhm -"

"Well, don't worry. You still have some time. See you at the party, Hiromi!" Yuki called over his shoulder as he set off.

Hiromi waved him off, keeping up a smile until he was out of sight. Then she sighed, shoulders slumping, and turned to keep going.

* * *

><p>"Hm..." Hiromi stood in front of the mall directory, trailing a finger across the surface. "Craft store, craft store..." she mumbled. "Ah, here it is-"<p>

_"Whaaaat?!"_

Hiromi jumped in fright, glancing over to where the noise had come from. To her left was a fragrance apothecary. And glaring at the saleswoman behind the counter was Antoinette.

"What do you mean you can't giftwrap it?" the girl snapped, hands on her hips and one foot tapping. "This is a _present_ for someone, and I can't wrap to save my own life!"

"I'm sorry, miss, but even if we did offer that service, we don't have wrapping paper. However, if you'll go up one more floor, you'll find our giftwrapping table. It's only 400 yen per item."

Antoinette sighed loudly and slid her debit card across the counter to the saleswoman. "Ffffffiiiiine," she huffed, taking the large basket of things. "Thanks for _that_, I suppose."

"By the way, your friend will love those scents you chose. They're very popular, and the _sakura_-vanilla lotion is a top-seller with young girls."

"Of course~" Antoinette grinned as she took her card and receipt, then left the shop. Immediately he gaze fell upon Hiromi, and she waved at her. "Oh, hello, Hiromi! Have you come to shop for our lovely Aki?"

Hiromi held her bag closer to herself, shifting her weight awkwardly from foot to foot. "W-Well...well, I'm... Still deciding what to give her," she mumbled.

Antoinette clicked her tongue sympathetically. "Aki's tastes _are_ rather refined, I can see why you'd find it difficult to shop for her."

"W-Well-"

"Hiromi! Antoinette! I had a feeling I'd meet a friend today!" Mirai suddenly called out above the faint noise of the crowded mall. She smiled as she approached the two of them, a pink bag on her arm. "I just didn't expect it to be _two_ friends."

"Mirai! Is that Aki's present you're holding?"

"Yes! Want to see?" Without waiting for an answer, Mirai held the bag out, tilting it so the other two girls could peer inside. Hiromi couldn't tell what exactly it was, but there was a bunch of pretty-looking fabric and a few small boxes sitting on top of them. Apparently Antoinette knew what the fabric was, though, because she gasped and covered her mouth, eyes wide.

"Why, Mirai~! You got her some dresses? How did you get close enough to get her measurements?" Antoinette put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes and puckering her lips at Mirai in suspicion. "Are you _seeing_ Aki?"

Mirai laughed and waved a hand in front of herself. "No, no, nothing like that. I just picked a few different sizes that looked right, and got a gift receipt. If any of them are wrong, Aki can just return them. I picked up two new video games for her, too," she added, gesturing to the boxes. "What about you two?"

Antoinette spoke just as Hiromi was opening her mouth. "I got her a lovely gift basket of lotions, soaps, perfumes, and bath bombs~ The _sakura_-vanilla just _screams_ Aki, and this bath bomb here looks like a pink galaxy when dissolved!"

"Uwaaaah, how elegant! How about you, Hiromi?" Both Mirai and Antoinette turned to face her, expectant smiles on their faces.

Hiromi just clutched her bag tighter against herself. "I..." She thought of the little earrings at home, the short shopping list she had in her head. "...I don't know," she said again, lips twitching slightly.

"Well, you'd best hurry!" Antoinette said. "The party's soon, remember!"

"Y-yeah...e-excuse me, you two," Hiromi said with a short bow, then ran deeper into the mall, vanishing into the crowd.

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, Lady walked down the hall leading to Ariel's room, a delicate-looking box in her hands. She hummed quietly, something tuneless but still pretty-sounding in her voice. Suddenly she stopped, just five feet from Ariel's door. "Ah, Shylock!"<p>

Shylock stood leaning against the wall, just in front of Lady. His arms were folded across his chest, stoic gaze on the box she was holding. "What is that?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, this is just my music box," Lady explained, smiling gently at it.

"Your music box? I didn't know you had one."

"Well, I just very recently made it. I thought Cure Ariel would enjoy a little music once in a while?

_"No."_

Lady's head tilted, her eyes still closed as her brows knitted slightly. "Eh?"

Shylock was glaring mildly, moving to stand in the middle of the hall, blocking the way to Ariel's room. _"No,_ you may not give her that music box."

"But Shylock, darling, it will just calm her nerves! I'm sure being cooped up in that room all day, away from the rest of us..."

"I won't let you give her that box. If I find it in her room, I'm throwing it away." Shylock's tone left no room for argument. "Take it somewhere else."

Lady stood there, her face turned towards him for a long moment. Neither said anything, a silent battle of wills at work. Finally, Lady sighed delicately, and turned around, her skirts rustling around her legs. "Very well then... I only wished to give her a gift. It isn't fair that you're the only one who can give her presents, Shylock... By the way, do wash those sundae bowls when you get a chance."

And with that said, she walked down the hall and vanished.

* * *

><p>Hiromi walked home dejectedly, as the sun was setting. A small shopping bag hung limply from her fingers; in the end, she'd still bought the jewel glue and paint. She'd come that far, she didn't have the money for fancier things... It'd be stupid to turn around and go back empty-handed.<p>

As she passed by Miho's house, the door opened and the girl in question stepped out. "Huh? Hey, Hiromi! How ya doing?"

"Oh...hi, Miho," Hiromi mumbled.

Miho frowned as she approached the gate, resting her hands on it. "What's the matter? Shopping for Aki's present?"

"Uhm..."

Miho smiled gently. "You know, she'll like anything you give her. Because you're such great friends. Well, unless you like, wrapped up a dog dropping or something. You didn't give her a dog dropping, didja?"

Hiromi let out a quick snort and covered her mouth.

"Hahaaa, see, made you laugh," Miho chuckled, then touched Hiromi's shoulder. "Hiromi...look, I can tell you're worried. But you really shouldn't be. Like I said, Aki's your friend – even if you don't give her anything, she'll just be happy you're there."

"...what are you getting her?" Hiromi whispered.

Miho just shrugged. "I thought of just scanning a few pages of the manga Nana's drawing, but then Nana said she'd get into huge trouble with her publishers. So I'm just drawing a quick picture of her. It's just a pencil and ink thing, because of time constraints, but..." Miho stopped, another worried look on her face. "Hey, don't feel like you have to compete with us about gifts, okay? Remember what I told you."

"Y-yeah...I'll try," Hiromi smiled slightly and started walking again, waving Miho goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow at the party."

"Bye, Hiromi! Don't worry about it~! Aki will love it no matter what it is! Because you're someone precious!" she yelled after Hiromi, a hand cupped around her mouth.

* * *

><p>That evening, Hiromi stared down at the earrings. Should she even bother painting them? Or adding the little gems? As she looked more closely at them, down from that happiness high she'd been on the night before, she could see the little imperfections. The small little chip in one of the petals. How one rose sat off-center of its post.<p>

Cheesecakes that looked like they were from a cooking show, a gift basket of bath supplies and fragrances, new clothes and games, and a sketch from an up-and-coming manga writer. And here she was, with these tiny, silly, imperfect earrings.

_'But I can't show up with nothing...'_ she thought to herself. _'That'd be worse.'_

With a small sigh and a heavy heart, Hiromi lifted the paintbrush and began carefully applying the sparkly blue color to the first rose. As she worked, the faint sound of sniffles could be heard from her.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>The next day, it was party-time. Hiromi was wearing a new outfit for the occasion. Instead of her usual casual outfit, now she was wearing a light, gentle-looking dress with a cream-colored top. The sleeves, which stopped just between shoulder and elbow, were slightly billowy, the fabric having allowed to gather before being cinched at the ends. The entire top was a little loose, really, sort of floating before being cinched by a thin tan belt. The skirt was a bit simpler – still light so it floated somewhat, peach-pink and pleated. The dress stopped just above the knees, and Hiromi had worn off-white stockings with tan ankle boots on her legs. She thought she looked nice, but her mind wasn't on the outfit.<p>

"M-Maybe this was a bad idea," Hiromi whispered into her bag as she walked down the street towards Aki's manor. "I should just go home and tell them I'm sick!"

"Hiromi, Aki's your _girlfriend!_ You can't just do that because you're nervous!" Coffee whispered, poking her head out. In honor of the occasion, she was wearing a tiny little party hat on her head. "She'll be sad if you don't go!"

"I know..." Hiromi mumbled. "But it's just that..." Her gaze shifted from Coffee to the little present, wrapped in pink tissue paper. Ti holding it between his paws, trying to keep the paper from tearing or crinkling.

_'They're just so-'_

"Young lady."

"Ah!" Hiromi jumped, shoving Coffee's head back into her bag, and turned to face the newcomer.

A pretty lady with long, curly lilac hair and a long dress stood off to the side, in front of a picket fence. She smiled sweetly, her eyes never once opening. "Young lady," she said again. "Would you like a music box?"

"A m-music box?" Hiromi echoed.

"Yes. You see, I've been needing someone to take it off my hands, but for some strange reason, no one seems to want it. And it's such a lovely box, too," she sighed sadly. "Would you care for a look?"

Hiromi took a step closer, her eyes going wide as she looked at the box. "Uwaaah..."

It was a white box with gold trimming – and real gold too, not gold paint! Delicate pink swirls were painted onto the box, coming in from the corners and edges and finally meeting in the center of each side to form a large heart. In the center of each heart was a pink gemstone, heart-shaped of course, catching the light and letting out a few rainbow sparkles. On top of the box was a glass, convex window with eight sides. Through it, Hiromi could see a flower with a heart for the iris; it sat on a dias that was meant to turn as music played. "It's lovely!" Hiromi gasped.

"A fine gift for any young woman," the lady said with a smile. "Would you like it, my dear?"

"A-Ah, can I?" Hiromi gasped.

"Of course! Free of charge," the lady said, gently pressing the box into Hiromi's arms.

Hiromi flushed pink. "Th-thank you! I don't know what to say, but...but thank you so much!" She bowed once and, as the lady chuckled quietly at her antics, ran down the street for Aki's.

* * *

><p>"Aren't you all a little over-dressed?" Yuki deadpanned, one hand in his pocket. Everyone stood in front of the gates of Aki's home, waiting for Hiromi to arrive. "I mean, it's a birthday, but Aki's a friend, not a princess."<p>

"Are you mad, Yuki?!" Antoinette gasped, scandalized. "Aki is very much a princess." She snickered at his outfit. "So _you_ are under-dressed."

Indeed it seemed that way. Antoinette was wearing a short-sleeved, tight black shirt with a square collar, a white tiered and ruffled skirt that stopped at mid-thigh. She wore a loose chain of silver stars around her waist, and deep red stockings on her legs. On her feet were black fashion boots with silver star-shaped buckles. And on her head was a white cloche with a black ribbon.

She wasn't the only girl who'd gotten at least a little dressy either. Mirai was wearing a white baby-doll top with pink ribbons dangling from the sleeves' ends. Instead of a skirt, she wore pink jeans that she'd dressed up a little with a dark red heart on the pocket, and red canvas shoes. Her drill ponytails had been secured with red bobbles for the occasion.

Miho wore a yellow romper over an off-shoulder, dark brown shirt with long sleeves. On her legs were dark brown thigh-highs with scalloped edges, and she wore black, lace-up boots that reached mid-calf on her feet. She hadn't changed her hair or added anything to her head, but she did decide to wear an oversized necklace with a tan heart pendant.

And there was Yuki, just wearing a red hoodie sweater and blue jeans with his usual white sneakers.

"Ugh, you girls are all weird!" he snapped just as Hiromi came running up. "You, too, Hiromi!" He kept talking as Miho pressed the button to announce themselves and the gates opened. As they went up towards the door, he continued. "You'll see; it's just a simply birthday party between friends, and Aki's going to look at you all and-"

The front door opened wide, Aki beaming at everyone from the doorway. She wore a black and blue part dress; the top black with long sleeves and a sweetheart collar, the skirts blue and sparkly. On her legs were darker blue leggings, and she wore delicate lace socks with black Mary-Janes. "Everyone!" she called, her sparkly tulle skirts rustling, no doubt from her running to open the door. "Come in, come in, hurry!"

_"I hate all of you,"_ Yuki grumbled, to everyone else's amusement.

"We're putting the gifts on the dining room table," said Emma, leading everyone into the kitchen. "Right this way everyone,"

As everyone followed Emma, Yuki looked over everyone's outfits again and scoffed under his breath. "Girls," he grumbled.

"If you like, young sir, you can borrow one of my suits," chuckled the young butler, Sebastian.

"I don't need a suit!"

* * *

><p>The party went without a hitch. The presents were all piled up on the table – Hiromi just borrowed a cloth napkin and draped it over the music box so Aki couldn't see it, and Emma announced the first thing would be a small tea party. Just to warm up for the actual festivities, then they could start the real fun.<p>

They sat in the sitting room, around a coffee table laden with finger foods, tea and coffee. Antoinette kept drinking her tea with her pinkie extended, much to Yuki's amusement – Antoinette just snapped back that she'd done this since she was small, and now it was practically a reflex. Mirai warned everyone to be careful with their drinks, and right after that Miho spilled tea on the carpet. One would think she wouldn't mind too much, but the poor girl burst into tears and had to be taken to the corner and comforted by Sebastian. The man kept insisting it was alright, as Miho kept wailing she'd ruined the "super fancy" carpet. It took ten minutes for her to calm down and rejoin the tea party as if nothing had happened, while Sebastian excused himself and Emma to fetch the party games.

Aki laughed as gently as the others and shifted her attention to Hiromi, who sat beside her. "Hiromi, are you having fun?"

"E-Eh? Of course! Wh-why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I just want to be sure. You seemed a little distressed when I gave you the invitations, and you looked really nervous on your way in." Aki smiled wider, tilting her head and closing her eyes. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. It wouldn't feel like a real party if you weren't having as much fun as I was."

"That's right, datchu!" Ti whispered. Hiromi looked into her slightly-open bag, where it sat propped against the couch. Inside, Ti and Coffee each held a tiny sandwich, crumbs on Ti's snout. "Parties aren't fun unless _everyone's_ hearts are light, datchu!"

"M-My heart's..." Hiromi began, but stopped.

A light, tinkling song was playing down the hall. At first it was quiet, but then it steadily grew louder until everyone stopped talking, and noticed it.

"Is that a clock?" Miho asked, frowning.

"No, none of my clocks sound like that..." Aki said, setting down her teacup. "Sebastian, Emma?" she called.

No answer.

"Where could they...?" Aki stood up, jogging out of the room. "Sebastian! Emma, where-"

Her voice cut out, leaving just the music. And then suddenly, it stopped too.

_"Aki?!"_ cried the others. Everyone still holding a cup put it down quickly, and ran out of the room. And what they saw in the dining room was...

Aki, Emma, and Sebastian lay on the floor, as if they'd suddenly dropped. All three of them were in a deep sleep and, no matter how much the others shook them, wouldn't wake up.

But they didn't have time to focus on that either. A second later, the handkerchief shook, and then the pile of gifts fell over, the table shattering and splintering as-

"USOOOOO!"

"U-Usotsuki?!" Hiromi gasped, face pale.

"What-?!" began Mirai.

The Usotsuki, looking just like a giant-sized version of the music box in all ways but for the red eyes and mouth, didn't let her finish. It opened its mouth wide and let out a roar, spraying _something_ from its mouth.

The 'something' turned out to be the slashed-heart symbol, and one slammed onto the chest of everyone conscious, except for Hiromi.

"Everyone!" Hiromi gasped again as they fell to their knees, wailing loudly. "Everyone! A-Aki!" she cried, shaking Aki by the shoulders. "Wake up! Please! We have to transfo- Ah!"

The Usotsuki took a step forward, roaring loud enough to shake the entire house. Hiromi backed up in fright, trembling like a leaf as the monster stepped forward. She saw it step on some of the boxes – and judging by the shattering noise and the sudden scent of _sakura_... "A-Antoinette's present for Aki!" The Usotsuki didn't care – why should it? - and charged forward, knocking aside and destroying the other presents too.

Hiromi yelled and ran down the hall, away from the sitting room. She had to keep them away from Ti, Coffee, and the others! She had to-

She reached a door leading to the back gardens, and as she threw it open and ran outside, lifted her hand up.

**"Pretty Cure! Love's Song!"**

Hiromi, now sans glasses, floated in a void of soft gold and dark pink light, glowing hearts floating all around her. She hovered there, eyes closed, legs together and arms extended at her sides, for just a moment before she swept her left arm in front of herself, moving her body into a fast spin as she held both arms up like a ballerina. Her ponytails came undone, and her hair suddenly brightened to gold and formed itself into four large ringlets. As she continued spinning, glowing gold ribbons of light wrapped around her torso, exploding outward into sparkling hearts to reveal her Cure dress. She swung one leg out to slow herself down, light wrapping around both of her legs. Then just before her spin stopped, she brought her leg back down so both her ankles touched, and the light exploded into those same hearts to reveal her boots. Hiromi opened her eyes, now emerald green, to smile softly at the ring on her finger before she held her hands together and brought them to her mouth, kissing the ring. Her arms glowed with the golden light, and this light too burst apart to reveal her gloves. Sparkles of gold gathered at the top of her head and over her ears, solidifying into the shapes of her earrings and tiara before bursting into pink sparkles.

She smiled softly, bringing her hands down to touch her heart. **"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

"USOOOO!" The Usotsuki crashed outside, breaking apart the doorframe. It bore down on Cure Capulet, who stood trembling faintly as she stared into that huge, gaping mouth.

_She'd been right there she'd been so close to it and it was hot it was hot and burning and oh God_

Capulet gasped, snapping herself out of it just as the Usotsuki sent another shower of slashed-heart symbols at her. She leaped aside, and the hearts missed her to tear apart the flowerbeds. The air felt hot where the flowers once were, and Capulet gasped again as she felt the heat on her legs.

_Sweat beaded at her temples and rolled down her face. She screamed for help as her hand began to slip, and then when she couldn't feel anything under them anymore and she was falling she was falling_

"Noooo!" Capulet screamed, whirling around and punching the Usotsuki just as it swung a fist at her. Their fists collided, and the Usotsuki's was sent away. This didn't stop it, however, and with another roar, it swung again.

Capulet kept swinging her own fists, gasping and trying not to look into those eyes. Or that mouth. Even though it roared again, and every time it roared she felt a blast of heat, she ignored it. She had to. She had to-

**"Why are you fighting?"**

Capulet gasped.

**"You're hurting Aki's present."**

"I-"

The Usotsuki swung again. "USOOOO...KI!" it roared, as the hit connected and Capulet was sent, screaming, into the side of the house.

The dust cleared, and Capulet tried to get out of the small crater she'd created. "A-Aki's...Aki's gift..."

But what was that voice? No, _who_ was that?

Capulet gasped again, tensing up as the Usotsuki stalked towards her and she could feel more of that hot air bearing down on her. And then a strange, echoing voice filled her head. She couldn't tell who it belonged to, whether it was male or female, but...

**"Why hurt your precious one's gift? Why keep fighting it? If you let it defeat you, maybe it will go back to being the little music box it used to be."**

"The music box..." Capulet whispered. Her eyes widened as realization struck, and she gasped again.

She hadn't seen anyone from Shitsuren appear, or mark that box. No one at all! And the Usotsuki didn't even have the same symbol!

**"Let heartbreak and lies swallow you. Let the despair melt your bones. Let all your love and hope turn into ashes!"**

"Don't attack me..." the Usotsuki rasped suddenly, looming over Capulet. It was _right_ in front of her now, she had to crane her neck back to look at it. "Don't attack me..."

Capulet's expression was blank, her pupils reduced to pinpricks, the irises shrunken.

"Let your love turn into ash...Don't attack your precious one's present..."

_Aki's present...Aki's present..._

* * *

><p><em>Hiromi smiled as she looked at her creations: a pair of rose-shaped post earrings.<em>

* * *

><p>"You're..."<p>

* * *

><p><em>'I hope she likes her present...'<em>

_"Aki will love it no matter what it is! Because you're someone precious!"_

* * *

><p><strong>"Don't hurt her present...Just let it turn your heart to ash!"<strong>

_"No!"_ Capulet shrieked angrily, and delivered a powerful punch to the Usotsuki.

The monster was taken by surprise, reeling backwards and glaring at her. "WHAT?"

Capulet glared, her head bowed, chest heaving. "You're..."

* * *

><p><em>She taped the last corner of the tissue paper to the box and set it inside her bag.<em>

* * *

><p>She lifted her head, tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. <em>"You're not Aki's present!"<em>

**"Sound of the Bells! Sword the Capulet Family! Pretty Cure Glorious Golden Shoot!"**

The Usotsuki roared in fury as the glowing heart slammed into it, covering it with its warm light and disintegrating it. But as Capulet watched, and everything around her returned to the way it was before, the music box didn't reappear. There was simply nothing.

* * *

><p>"Uwaaaah, the bottle is so pretty!"<p>

"Akiiii, what's important is what's _in_ the bottle~!" laughed Antoinette.

No one remembered a thing about falling asleep, or being attacked by a monster. After everyone came to their senses again, they just assumed they must have crashed into each other in the hallway, trying to sneak a peek at gifts early. Or trying to stop the teenagers from looking, in the case of Emma and Sebastian. The two staff members had shooed everyone back to the sitting room, then reappeared themselves with a few simple party games. After the prizes were handed out – something for everyone, of course! - then it was time for the candles to be blown out. And after that, Aki began opening her presents while Emma cut the cake and Sebastian brought the rest of the birthday feast out.

Aki sprayed some perfume onto the pulse point on her neck, inhaling deeply. "It smells wonderful, Antoinette, thank you!"

"Not as wonderful as my cheesecakes taste," Yuki snickered.

Antoinette rapped her knuckles against the top of his head. "Gifts are not contests!" she snapped.

Aki laughed again, setting Antoinette's gift basket aside to sit with the other unwrapped gifts. "Eh?" she blinked. "Hey, Hiromi, I thought you came in with a present?"

"U-Uhm..." Hiromi blushed and looked into her bag.

Ti stared back solemnly, holding up the little box.

Hiromi reached into the bag, gently wrapping her fingers around the box. As she was taking it out of the bag, she hesitated – just for a moment, then handed it to Aki. "I...I didn't want it to get lost," she mumbled.

"Oh, good thinking," Aki said as she began taking off the paper.

Hiromi held her breath.

"Uwaaaaaaaah~! Hiromi, these are so pretty!" Aki gasped, lifting the clear lid to get a better look. "Oh my God, are these hand-made?!"

"What?! Hiromi did hand-made? Hiromi, that's cheating!"

"Antoinette, what was that about presents not being contests?"

"Aaaah, I _thought_ someone would have an incident involving flowers!"

"Wow, Hiromi, those are neat! Can you design jewelry for some of my characters?"

"A-Ah, it's nothing special at all, really," Hiromi hastily said, waving her hands in front of herself. "I-It's just something from a kit. Uhm...b-but I picked the heart-shaped silver rhinestones myself...and the paint was my idea, they're supposed to be plain white..."

Aki smiled gently, putting the earrings in. "Do they look good on me?" she asked.

"Y-yeah! Really good!" said Hiromi, blushing.

"I knew it," Aki chuckled. "Of course, I'd look good in anything Hiromi gave me."

Hiromi blushed, shoulders slumping in relief. As Aki kept talking, saying how perfect everyone's gifts were, how special they were because _they_ gave them to her, she started to cry softly. But always smiling.

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Ti: "A-Ah, that's right, there's a third Cure Signet, datchu!"

Aki: "But who does it belong to? There's so many girls in our school, we wouldn't even know where to start looking!"

Hiromi: "A-Ah, wait a minute, what if we don't start at school!? What if..."

Coffee: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Phwawawaa-?! The Lazy Slacker Is a Pretty Cure?!' Let love heal your heart!"


	9. Chapter 9

Miho set her pencil down, smiling and nodding at her paper. "There, that's perfect," she said.

Leaning back from the low table, she stretched her arms over her head, grinning when she felt a pop in her back. Ahhh, that felt much better.

"Three thumbnail pages done today. I'm on _such_ a roll!"

Just as she was getting up for a snack, there was a knock at the door. Miho walked over to it. "Coming~!" She smiled as she opened the door, blinking a little in the sun. "Hi there-"

Someone in a Chuushin High School uniform stood at her door, a stern expression on their face.

Miho just stared with narrowed eyes for a moment...and then tried to shut the door in their face. "Sorry, we're not interested. Bye-bye~"

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>Ti stared at the tan surface, his reflection staring back. He turned the Cure Signet in his paws, watching the light swirl around the domed top for a moment. Then he sighed. "Datchu..."<p>

"Ti?" The flap of Hiromi's bag opened up, and Hiromi stared down at him in concern. "Is something the matter?"

"If it's about the cake from my birthday, I _said_ I was sorry it wasn't pineapple," Aki said huffily.

It was after school, and the two were walking to Hiromi's together – just for a quick stop, Hiromi had insisted, to change out of her school uniform before they went to their shopping date. The cute plaid dress might look nice on Aki, but Hiromi felt a little ridiculous, like she was a rock someone glued a rhinestone to.

"No, it's not that, datchu," Ti said, popping out of the bag and holding up the Cure Signet. "I'm thinking about—"

"Yagami! I told you to quit coming by here!"

Ti squealed in fright at the sudden voice and dove back in.

Up ahead, Miho stood at her gate, hands on her hips as she stared down her visitor. Aki recognized him as the boy who'd called her to the office weeks ago.

"I'm not going back to school. The paperwork was all finished _months_ ago. If I had any interest in going back, I-" Her attention suddenly went to Hiromi and Aki, staring at them. "Ah, see, Yagami, your annoying voice is attracting a crowd! Get outta here!"

Yagami made a noise in the back of his throat and adjusted his school blazer. "Miss Sakura! I really have to ask you to think about your educa-"

"I said get outta here!" Miho yelled, stomping forward.

Yagami took the hint and bolted, actually leaping over the gate instead of bothering to open it. He gave Aki and Hiromi a quick, apologetic, glance before running the opposite direction. As they stared in confusion after him, Miho ran to the gate to make sure he really left.

"Jeez...stupid jerk," she grumbled. "Hey, Aki, Hiromi! What's up? I don't usually see Aki around this part of town."

"Well," Aki started, laughing. "I'm walking with Hiromi to her house so we can get ready for-"

"Our date!" Hiromi shrieked, suddenly remembering where she was. "Sorry, Miho, but I've been wanting for a long time to buy that - oh, Aki, we have to hurry!" She yelled, and pulled Aki by the hand down the sidewalk, ignoring Aki's yelp of protest.

Miho chuckled as she watched them go. "Hiromi, you've got to take it easy once in a while..." she mumbled. Just as she was turning to go back inside, a gleam caught her eye. She turned back around to see-

"A ring?" Miho hopped the gate and bent to pick it up. "Hey!" she yelled down the sidewalk. "You dropped your-!" But it was too late. They'd already turned a corner and left. Miho pouted for a second, one hand on her hip. "Hm...I guess this is okay." She smiled at the ring, turning the pretty tan jewelry this way and that. "I can give it to them later."

The heart on the ring caught the sunlight just so, and gleamed.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Phwawawaa-?! The Lazy Slacker Is a Pretty Cure?!<p>

* * *

><p><em>The sun was shining brightly that day, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Shylock loosened his scarf a little bit as he walked through the marketplace, silently regretting he hadn't any lighter colors to wear. This summer heat wasn't very comfortable...<em>

_"Hey!"_

_Shylock stopped, eyes widening slightly as he tensed up._

_But the woman at the fruit stand was only calling out to some children playing a game of 'kick the ball' too roughly, and too close, to her wares. She frantically grabbed at some peaches that tumbled towards the ground when the ball smacked into their bin. "You kids get away from here! It's dangerous to play here!"_

_"Ahhhh, we don't want to, though~!" one of the little boys called out. He kicked the ball again, this time away from the stands-_

_-and a green high-heeled boot stepped on it, making it stop._

_"Cure Ariel!" everyone cried, the boys in surprise, the woman in relief._

_The girl in question stood with her arms folded over her chest, glaring down at the kids as she held the ball still. "You two should know better than to roughhouse in a place like this!" she snapped._

_The kids wilted a bit. "Sorry..."_

_"You should have stopped when the nice lady told you to! But instead, you kept on kicking your ball! You could have gotten hurt, or hurt someone else, or knocked over some merchandise, and then your parents would have had to pay for it. So tell the lady sorry and say you won't do it again! Go on!"_

_The two boys turned towards the lady at the fruit stand and bowed, hands at their sides. "We're sorry, Mrs Fruit Lady. We'll play somewhere else."_

_Ariel's glare intensified. "Hmmm...I don't think you **meant** that," she said. Then, to the kids' growing dread, she stepped towards them, her arms going to her sides. "I'm afraid I'll have to punish you two. **Pretty Cure..."**_

_She suddenly lunged forward, wrapping one arm around both boys' midsections, each hand tickling under an armpit. **"Tickle Attack~!"** she cackled._

_The boys laughed til tears were streaming down their faces, squirming and struggling to get out of her grip. "C-Cure Ariel-! St-stop iiiit~!" _

_"Say sorry~!"_

_"We're s-sorry!"_

_"Will you play ball in that field over there instead?"_

_"Ye-e-es~!"_

_"Okay then," Cure Ariel smiled as she released them. Then she walked back to their ball and lightly kicked it towards them. "Now play safe, okay?"_

_"Okay! Thank you, Cure Ariel!"_

_"Thank you very much," the lady sighed, smiling._

_"Oh, don't worry about it," Ariel laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "They don't mean any harm, really..."_

_"I know. Ah, but as thanks..." The fruit vendor grabbed a mesh bag and dropped a few peaches into it. Holding it out to Ariel, she smiled and said "Here you are! On the house."_

_"Oh, I couldn't possibly-"_

_"I **insist** on it."_

_"Well, I suppose..." _

_Shylock watched Ariel take the bag, bow and thank the vendor. Then she straightened up, glanced his way-_

* * *

><p>He knocked on the door with one hand, carrying a food tray in the other. "Ariel?" he called softly. "Are you awake?"<p>

Ariel sat where she always did, head bowed. She didn't answer.

Outside, Shylock's stoic expression faltered a bit, something flickering in his eyes. "You must be hungry," he called again.

Silence.

He blinked, and for a second a forlorn look appeared on his face. But just as quickly, it was gone, and he just opened the door to push the tray in. "I'll leave it here for you," he said. Then he shut the door, and turned to go.

"Shylock."

He stopped, breath catching in his throat.

Ariel was speaking to him. Her voice was steady, but he heard an undertone of...desperation?...to it. "You don't have to do this," she said. "You can still stop – you can still _fix_ this. There's still time."

On the other side of the door, Ariel stood with her hands against the wood, as if she could break it down. Of course she couldn't, though. She wasn't really even Cure Ariel in this form - "Ariel" was just what they called her for now, both as a means of mockery and because they didn't know her true name.

Sheylock wasn't answering her. Her worried expression grew more distraught, and she tried again. "Shylock!"

_"Shylock is not here right now."_

Ariel gasped. That voice...! "Break!" she yelled, slamming her hands against the door furiously. "What did you do to Shylock?! He wasn't like this before, what have you done to him?!"

_"Don't worry, Cure Ariel. I have done nothing but remind him where his loyalties ought to lie."_

"That's a lie!" Ariel cried. "Shylock didn't act this way until-"

* * *

><p><em>"Shylock, is something wrong?"<em>

_"...Ariel, something is going to happen tomorrow. I need you to stay far away from the palace tomorrow."_

_"Shylock, **what's going on?"**_

* * *

><p>"You came along and did something, you had to have! Let me see him – let me get to Kokoro! Are the king and queen alright? Is Ti alright? Is-"<p>

Suddenly, red energy flared up where Ariel's hands were on the door, burning her. As she cried out and drew back, there was a loud bang on the other side of the door, as if Break had slammed a fist against it. _**"Enough**. You are **lucky** that you're still alive right now. But one more **mistake** on your part can change that."_

* * *

><p>"Thank you, please come again!"<p>

Aki and Hiromi stepped out of the store, Hiromi smiling and hugging a pink shopping bag to her chest.

Aki laughed. "You know, there were a couple dozen of those plushes in there. We could have walked instead of run."

"Y-Yeah, but – I-I just wanted to be sure!" Hiromi pouted. Then she smiled and peered inside the bag. Inside were actually _three_ plushes, all the same exact one. She pulled one out – a girl with a red and silver dress, and bright red hair in spirals at either side of her head. "There's an Aries for you, me, and one for Miho."

"You got Miho one, too, datchu?"

"W-Well, yeah..." Hiromi mumbled sheepishly, scratching the side of her face. "I feel a little guilty running away from her like that, especially when she was being so nice... So hopefully this will-"

"Ah! Are you on your way to see Miss Sakura?"

The two girls stopped in the middle of the shopping square, staring as Yagami walked right up to them. There was a friendly smile on his face, but an air of purpose in his stride and eyes.

* * *

><p>"Let's see...where would two girls go shopping...?" Miho muttered to herself, carrying the ring between her thumb and forefinger as she walked. Shortly after Aki and Hiromi had left, she'd decided to just go to the shopping district herself to return the ring. After all, she'd worked hard that day, she needed a break and some fresh air! "Hm...they weren't at the cake shop, so probably-"<p>

"Now then, Miss Satou, Mister Oshiro-"

"Miss Oshiro."

"Right. I need to speak to you about your friend, Miss Sakura."

Miho stopped, eyes going wide. That voice was-!

She turned to her left and looked between the various groups of people to see Aki, Hiromi, and that Yagami guy talking by the fountain in the center of the square. None of them had seen her yet, but she was near enough to hear what Yagami was saying to them.

* * *

><p>"You see, Miss Sakura filed the paperwork to drop out of school quite a while ago," Yagami said. "After only a month into her first year of high school, she just quit. Miss Sakura wasn't the <em>best<em> student, but I didn't think her the type to do that."

"Type?" Hiromi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Yagami sighed, running his fingers through his short hair. "Well...I don't want to make any accusations, or call her names but... When I was a little boy, a high-school student lived next door to me. After some time, he dropped out. Shortly afterward, I would hear my mother and his talking. Apparently, all he did anymore was read manga and watch TV. He never made an effort to help around the house, he never tried to get a job, he just lazed around and did nothing."

"Are you calling Miho lazy?" Aki said, her own frown looking _very_ unfriendly.

"Not...quite the word I would use, but," Yagami sighed. "But when have any of us seen her being productive? I've never seen her working around town, she isn't taking care of her relatives, she doesn't volunteer... Every time I've gone to visit her, to ask about returning to school, she's home, which makes me think she's there all the time. I don't want her to throw away her future by not completing high school. Contrary to what she might think, I _do_ worry about-"

There was a faint _crack_ and Yagami grabbed at the back of his head. A tiny pebble landed behind him. "Ow! What the-?!"

All three turned to see Miho standing there, her arm in front of her as if she'd just thrown something. Her face was red, her chest and shoulders heaving angrily. "Ya-ga-mi..." she snarled.

"M-Miho-!" Hiromi started.

"You..._you giant jerk!_ You don't know anything!" Miho yelled, eyes squeezing shut. Then she turned and ran off, vanishing into the crowd.

"Miho! Miho, wait! _Miho_!" Aki pulled away from the others and ran into the crowd.

Hiromi looked at Yagami, a light glare on her face that was only _slightly_ ruined by her teary eyes. "Now look what you did!"

"I only...I was only worried..." he mumbled, looking at the spot where Miho had once stood, a look of distress upon his face.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki lean over a small box, watching in anticipation as Ti and Coffee turn the handle. It appears to be a small jack-in-the-box, but when the lid suddenly pops open, it sends a spray of heart-shaped confetti all over them. The four of them laugh, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Cure Capulet and Cure Montague run at each other from opposite sides of the screen. The slide across the floor, intending on strike a pose together, but while Montague stops, Capulet keeps sliding. She briefly flails her arms in panic, and Montague grabs her around the waist to stop her. The momentum results in Capulet being held in a dip as she and Montague lock eyes. Montague laughs while Capulet blushes, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Miho ran, weaving around shoppers and loiterers as she did. Her teeth were grit angrily, head bowed so her bangs shadowed her eyes. <em>Stupid Yagami...Stupid Yagami!<em>

"Miho, wait!"

"Go _away_!" she yelled.

"Miho!"

Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Miho stumbled before lifting her head up –

-and saw Aki with a worried look on her face. Aki blinked, releasing Miho's arm and reaching up to touch her cheek. "Miho, are you... are you _crying?"_

* * *

><p>A little while later, Miho and Aki sat together on a bench. Miho sniffled a little, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand. Aki gently rubbed one of her shoulders and offered a mint green handkerchief, but Miho just waved it away. "I-I'm okay," she managed to say.<p>

"You know if it helps, neither of us believed a word Yagami was saying-"

"No, I...I should be used to it," Miho said sadly, her hands curling into fists on her lap. "But it still hurts.

"That Yagami keeps coming by, every few weeks or so. I keep telling him I'm doing something with my life, that I don't have any interest in high school, but..."

"But he won't listen?" Aki supplied when Miho trailed off. "It's really none of his business, though, right? You don't _have_ to go, and it doesn't matter to him if you left."

"I did hear that high school isn't mandatory in this place," Coffee said as she and Ti peered out of Aki's purse. "That after middle school, you can work right away or something. It's not illegal to not have high school, so what's the problem?"

Miho took a deep breath. "Well, it started shortly before I began high school..."

* * *

><p><em>"You know, Miho, being a manga-ka is a lot of work."<em>

_Miho looked up from her thumbnails, nodding at her cousin. "Yeah, I know."_

_Nana looked a little distraught. "No, I mean...a **lot** of work. I do it for a living, and you don't see me with much free time, do you?"_

_"Well..." Miho frowned. It was true that sometimes Nana would work in the sitting room so Miho could see her, and they would sometimes talk while she drew, but she was right. It was very rare that Nana could put down her pencils and inks and take a break. There was always another deadline looming, so many pages to draw. New scripts to make._

_Nana put a hand on Miho's. "I know you love to draw, Miho," she murmured. "And you've been drawing all day. But if you ever want to be serious..."_

* * *

><p>"I thought I could manage it, but when I'd get home from school, I'd have to do homework. And teachers were telling me to think about clubs, and volunteer work. And sometimes I would have cleaning duty and need to stay after class. That really cut into my drawing time, sometimes I wouldn't have time at all. So one day..."<p>

* * *

><p><em>Miho let out a loud growl of annoyance and smacked her forehead on the table where she and Nana were drawing. Without looking up, Nana reached out her non-drawing hand to steady the cup that held her pens. "Rough day, Miho?" she asked conversationally.<em>

_Miho groaned. "Rough **everything!** Math homework, literature homework, my uniform and gym clothes to wash, cleaning the classroom, science projects, and then I have to finish these pages for the competition!" Miho wasn't a professional like her cousin, and had yet to make her big break. But until then, she was drawing for any competition that struck her fancy. "I can't make it on time at this rate!"_

_"You know...some manga-ka just quit."_

_"Quitting drawing is counter-productive, don't you think?"_

_"Not art. High school." Nana lifted her head at last. "Consider it, Miho. If you're serious about drawing for a living, and if high school is interfering with your drawing schedule...you can quit."_

* * *

><p>"A few days later, I went to the registration office and signed the forms to officially drop out of school," Miho finished. "The next morning, I was able to put off breakfast a bit and draw without worry. I could take some juice to the table and keep drawing. I could focus on what I wanted to do in my life, the thing that makes me happy, instead of...instead of just going to a building every day and following the same routine that wouldn't matter in a few years. And I felt... I felt happy."<p>

Miho smiled gently at her hands. "I was happy, I was content. I thought to myself, 'I'm doing something with my life. I'm doing what I want to do, I'm not getting distracted or losing any of my chances.' I'm happy with what I'm doing."

She frowned. "However..."

* * *

><p><em>Two girls in Chuushin High uniforms walked past Miho's house on their way to school.<em>

_"Hey, isn't she going? She was in our class, right?"_

_"No, I heard from Sekai, the office aide. She dropped out!"_

_"Whoa, seriously? How can someone just throw away her future like that?"_

_"Sekai told me not to hang out with her anymore – she might be a bad influence on others. She might even convince them to drop out too!"_

_Unbeknownst to them, Miho heard everything, as she stood just next to the window, which had been open to let in the breeze. She leaned against the wall, head tilted down, eyes obscured._

* * *

><p>"To tell the truth, Aki? You and Hiromi were the<em> first<em> people from our school to treat me nicely after that." She turned to look at Aki. "You two were my first friends after I left, aside from Nana. So..." She looked back down at her hands, expression forlorn. "So I really didn't want you to believe Yagami back there. I was hoping you wouldn't..."

"Miho."

Miho looked up again, blinking at the gentle smile on Aki's face.

Aki had placed her hand on Miho's shoulder, and lightly squeezed it. "You're our _friend._ Hiromi and I would never think _anything_ bad of you! You're awesome! You tried to help us once, you've never said a bad thing about either of us, you're funny, you're nice..."

"Yeah! Miho's a good person, datchu! She attacked an Usotsuki all by herself!"

Miho laughed sheepishly, blushing pink. "W-Well... You're my friends, too. You expect me to just sit back while you put yourselves in danger?"

"You've been a great friend. It doesn't matter to us if you're in school or not. I mean, yeah, maybe we'd get a little sad we can't eat lunch together, but that's it! We're not gonna believe some random jerk saying you're a bad girl just because you wanna do something else in your life." Aki's smile grew gentler. "We take _your_ word over someone else's in these things, Miho. Because we're friends."

Miho smiled again, teary-eyed.

And then, suddenly, there was screaming.

Miho and Aki jumped up, eyes wide. The people in the shopping square were running past them, away from-

"The fountain! Hiromi and Yagami!"

"Let's go, datchu!"

Aki grabbed her bag and began running. At the sound of heavy, fast footfalls just behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to see- "Miho! Miho, it's-"

"I told you!" Miho yelled back, brows lowered in determination. "You're my friends! I won't stay behind while you're in danger!"

* * *

><p>Hiromi was bent over him as he knelt on the ground, sobbing loudly with a black slashed-heart on his chest. They weren't by the fountain anymore, but in the doorway of one of the smaller shops. As for the fountain itself-<p>

"USOOOO!" it roared, taking a lumbering step towards the few stragglers in the area. The fountain had tripled in size now, and had grown thick, marble arms and legs. Angry red eyes glared from the fountain part, and the water frothing inside it was the same red color. It swung a fist down, smashing the cement walkway. "USO-KIIII!"

"Hiromi! Yagami!" Aki yelled as she appeared on the scene. "Where are you?!"

"We're over here!" Hiromi called back. "We're fine, but Yagami's been-"

Miho gasped when she saw him. Even if she didn't like him that much, she never wanted him to be in this condition! "Who did this? Is it the guy from before again?!"

Hiromi shook her head. "I didn't see anyone! The symbol just flew out and hit them!"

Another loud roar came from the Usotsuki as it threw its arm out and punched through the wall of a store. After everyone lowered their hands from their ears, Aki and Hiromi glanced at each other, then nodded once.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!" **

"Let's make this quick!" Montague yelled, hands in front of her chest as she prepared to summon her Rapier Wand.

"USOKIII!" The Usotsuki stood firm, flexed its arms, and shot a blast of red, water-like energy at Montague from the top of its spout. The attack struck Montague hard, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Montague!" Capulet yelled, running over to her partner.

Cure Montague was trapped inside a...red sphere of water? It looked like water, at least; bubbles were streaming from Montague's mouth as she tried to claw her way up, break the surface. But with each frantic movement, her prison only shifted, frothed and changed so she remained pinned, unable to move herself.

"Hold on!" Capulet yelled, and thrust her arms into the energy. Her hands seized Montague around the shoulders and she pulled, heedless of the Usotsuki stomping towards them.

From her hiding place, Miho knelt before the sobbing Yagami, her arms wrapped around Hiromi's messenger bag. "Come on, Capulet..." she muttered, grip tightening on the bag. "Hurry, get her out!"

"Hurry, datchu!" Ti whimpered.

Finally, Capulet managed to pull Montague out of her prison, and Montague gasped loudly for air. "Are you okay?!" Capulet cried.

"I-I'll be fine, just-" Montague began. Then her eyes widened and she shoved Capulet away before jumping into the air. "Watch out!"

Just as they leaped out of the way, another blast of energy struck the very space they'd been occupying.

"That's it!" Miho snapped, standing up. "I'm going in there!"

"Miho, you can't!" Coffee yelled.

"No! Those two...those two are my friends!"

As she began to run forward, Capulet and Montague stood together again and charged forward, preparing a double-attack.

The Usotsuki roared and smacked them aside, sending them against the brick wall of a store.

"I told Aki – they were-"

* * *

><p><em>Miho stood by the window, shoulders shaking as her former classmates finally walked away.<em>

* * *

><p>"They-!"<p>

Capulet and Montague were both hit by another blast of water-like energy, both of them trapped now. They found themselves pinned where they were, flat against the back of the crater they'd formed, unable to move, or breathe. Capulet's mouth was wide open as she tried to scream for help, but only bubbles and garbled cries came out.

"USOOOO!" the Usotsuki laughed, then directed its attention to Miho as she charged forward.

Miho was unfazed, a furious look on her face as she grabbed a brick from the devastation the creature had caused, throwing it at the Usotsuki's face. Without waiting to see if it hit, she picked up another and threw that too. "Those two are-"

* * *

><p><em>Miho laughed as she watched Hiromi and Aki laugh as the former posed for Nana.<em>

_She smiled as she sat with them, preparing to have some of the new dessert at the Sugar Bowl. _

_She stared in wide-eyed astonishment as her friends, now in new clothes, shot a glowing heart at the monster that had suddenly appeared._

_She drove an umbrella into one's leg, yelling for them to be left alone._

* * *

><p>The Usotsuki roared in fury, racing towards this girl who had dared to hurl bricks at it.<p>

Miho just prepared another throw. Her eyes squeezed shut, a few tears appearing in the corners. "-my precious friends! _I won't let them do this alone anymore!"_

Suddenly there was a burst of pale orange light from Miho's pocket. The Usotsuki stopped, covering its eyes with one arm and grunting. From the light's source came a pulse of power, expanding and washing over everything. When it reached the bubble of red energy, the energy burst apart, sending Capulet and Montague to the ground to catch their breath. Montague lifted her head. "Wh-what-?" she whispered.

Miho reached into her pocket, staring at the Cure Signet in astonishment. "The ring I found-" she whispered.

"Another Pretty Cure, datchu!" Ti cried.

"Miho! You don't have to let them fight alone after all! You can join them, you can be like them!" Coffee added. "But the ring on and yell 'Pretty Cure, Love's Song!'"

Miho didn't need to be told twice. She set her mouth in a thin, firm line and nodded once, depositing the messenger bag on the ground. Then she lifted her hand and slid the Cure Signet onto her finger.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"** Miho passed her hand down over her face as she floated in a void of copper light, sparkles, and glowing copper/orange hearts. Immediately, her hair glowed bright and changed – now instead of cherry-red hair with buns, she had light orange hair that cascaded in loose, thick waves to her shoulders. She smiled brightly, closed her eyes, and lifted her arms over her head, spinning around like a top. From the ring on her finger descended a shower of copper glowing hearts that collected on her torso. Soon her entire torso was glowing, and then the light burst apart into sparkles to reveal the top of her Cure dress. As she spinning slowed and she faced forward again, she opened her eyes – now pinkish-red – and held her arms in an X in front of her chest, a bright orange glow appearing on them. But just as quickly as she did, she flung her arms outward and jumped up (the same glow from before appearing on her legs and hips as she did so), silently laughing as the light burst outward to reveal her gloves. She landed on the ball of one foot, then tapped the toes of her other foot against her heel, causing the glow to burst off and reveal her boots. She closed her eyes for just a moment as she drew her arms to her right and tilted her hips to the left, then swung them across herself, revealing her skirt. She straightened up and clasped her hands together at chest-level, smiling softly as copper light formed at her ears, throat, and the right side of her head. Then they too burst into light orange sparkles to reveal a choker, tiara, and hair ornament.

The Usotsuki blinked away the spots dancing in its vision. "Uso..." it grumbled. Then it noticed a new enemy – and a proper enemy this time, not a civilian with a brick. "Ki?!" it yelped in shock.

Montague and Capulet just stared, eyes shining. "Miho..." they whispered.

Ti and Coffee were leaping for joy. "We found her! She's here!" they yelled together.

The new Cure smiled, gently brushing her hand over her heart. She now wore a tan and pale orange dress with puffy, slashed sleeves, and a cream-colored high collar. Over her chest was a reddish-brown heart brooch over a pale orange chest-bow. She had a tan corset with dark brown ribbons crossing over the front, and a slashed skirt that bore the same colors as her sleeves over cream petticoats. One large, pale orange ribbon sat just over her left hip, where the corset and skirt touched. Her cream-colored gloves were just a little over wrist-length, with scalloped, flared edges and pale orange ribbon at the wrist. Her tan boots went up to her thighs, and were adorned with a pale orange bow at the tops, and ribbon of the same collar around the ankles. The heels and toes of the boots, as well as a middle section of the front, were cream-colored. On the right side of her head was a large, reddish-brown heart-shaped jewel with one cream ribbon flaring and ruffling below. Her choker was tan, and she wore red-brown heart earrings.

**"The steadfast love in a maiden's heart..."** She brought her hands up, forming a heart shape next to her head and winking. **"...Cure Portia!"**

"USOOO!" the Usotsuki roared, trying to recover. It shot another blast of energy at Portia ("Look out!" yelled her teammates), but Portia just frowned and leaped high into the air, doing a forward-flip at the top of her jump.

"Hup!" she yelled, falling downward at a high speed and driving her high heels into the Usotsuki's water spout. The Usotsuki roared and lifted its arms to crush Portia between its fists. But Portia just lifted her own hands, pressing them flat against the Usotsuki's fists. There was a brief moment of tension as time seemed to slow down, and then she thrust her arms outward, forcing the monster's fists away.

She took her chance and jumped off of it, landing a few feet behind it.

"No one hurts my precious friends, not a monster or _anyone_!" Portia yelled as the Usotsuki turned to face her.

From her chest brooch came a burst of pale orange light that exploded into a small shower of glowing hearts. In the center floated a box about the size of Portia's chest; it looked like a bronze treasure casket, plain and simple, but the front-center had a glass faceted heart. Portia seized the thing between both hands. **"Sound of the Bells! Chest of Revelation!"** The glass heart turned sideways, allowing the lid to slowly open. A large, glowing heart, light orange, hovered out of it, drawing in glowing energy and bronze sparks. **"Pretty Cure...Bronze Truth..."** Portia thrust her arms out in front of herself, still holding the chest, leaning forward with one leg pushed behind herself. **"...Shoot!"**

The glowing heart shot straight for the Usotsuki, striking it directly between the eyes. It left a white, glowing heart shape where it hit, and then the glow rapidly covered the monster's entire body. The Usotsuki could only growl faintly as it disintegrated, and was no more.

Portia let go of the chest, and in a quick burst of light, it vanished. The scenery shifted and changed, everything going back to the way it was. Where he knelt, Yagami stopped crying as the mark on his chest disappeared and he slumped forward, exhausted.

"Whew...That was cool," Portia just mumbled.

"Cure Portia!" Capulet and Montague yelled together, tackle-hugging her. Portia nearly collapsed under their combined weight, then Coffee and Ti jumped up to hug the sides of her head. "You were so cool!"

Portia just laughed.

* * *

><p>Later, at sunset, Yagami stood by the fountain, a regretful look on his face. "So you really won't reconsider?" he asked.<p>

Miho just shook her head. "I'm sorry, Yagami, but I'm busy working from my own home. School would just interfere with my job. And on top of that, I've just taken up another one. I'm simply not going to have any time." She smiled. "Besides...there are people like me who still manage just fine, right? I'll be okay, Yagami, seriously!"

"Well..." Yagami sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again. "If you should ever change your mind-"

"I know." Miho suddenly narrowed her eyes and jabbed her finger at his chest. "But you seriously stop coming to my house. You'll disturb my work and it'll be all your fault if I can't get ahead in life!"

"Oh no, anything but that!"

"And I'll call the cops and tell them to arrest you for trespassing!"

"Waaaagh, sorry!"

Aki and Hiromi waited for Miho to catch up, then left the shopping district together. "Miho, that other job you mentioned..." Aki said.

"Yeah, Pretty Cure stuff! That's like a job, right?"

"Well, yes, an important one," Coffee admitted. "But if you want to be a manga-ka, won't this interfere, too?"

Miho just grinned. "Pffft...I think saving a magical world is a little more important than meeting a contest deadline. Besides, there'll be more. I can focus on being a Cure first for the time being. Okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she pumped her fists into the air. "But okay, I am _starved!_ I vote we all go to get some hamburger steak, our first meal as a trio of warriors!"

"Yeah!" cheered the other two.

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, Shylock raced down the hall as quickly, but quietly, as he could. He reached Cure Ariel's door and ran inside. "Cure Ariel, it's- Ariel," he said, tone suddenly quiet. "Your hands..."<p>

Ariel sat in the darkness, her hands held in front of herself. Even in the lack of light, Shylock could see they were burned.

"You tried to get out," he said simply.

She didn't speak, mildly glaring at him.

Shylock didn't respond to that. Instead, he tore off a bit of his shirt, knelt in front of Ariel, and gently wrapped the fabric around her hands. And when he did finally speak...

"I overheard Break speaking to Lady. There is a third Cure now." He lowered his head, bangs shadowing his eyes from view. "And this means I must hurry."

"Hurry to _what?"_

He said nothing. But outside, the River Despair churned and frothed, black water spraying towards the sky when it hit one of the large rocks in the middle.

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Aki: "Kyaaaaaah! Emi Watanabe, the famous idol, is coming back to school!"

Miho: "Oh man, I am so jealous! You gotta get me her autograph, I love her work!"

Hiromi: "A-Ah, but doesn't she seem a little sad to you?"

Aki/Miho: "Ehhhhh?"

Hiromi: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'The Poor Idol's Tragedy. The Girl in the Mirror.' Let love heal your heart!"

* * *

><p><strong>[[<strong>**Notes:** In Japan, high school's a bit different than it is in the US. It's not mandatory, it isn't illegal for someone to not attend high school, and there are entrance exams for each individual school, kinda like college applications. Many require you to pay a regular tuition, each school has a different reputation and some schools are considered "better" than others depending on what job you want, some other schools are even tailored for specific professions...

It's highly recommended, but not mandatory. It's again, kinda like how people view college in the US - you don't have to go, but most people generally assume you will, and drop-outs/non-students have a stigma against them as people with "no futures." So that's what's going on with this episode.]]


	10. Chapter 10

_The city was peaceful, quiet in the late hour. Not a soul was awake._

_But many probably were a second later, when a car crashed right through a window and landed, with a loud screech, onto the street and took off. A second car drove after it, men in black suits and sunglasses leaning out the window to fire laser guns at the wheels of the first._

_Inside the first car, a girl with short, caramel-colored hair and blue-green eyes was laughing as she drove wildly, foot pressing the gas pedal to the floor. "Eat my rubber, losers!" she yelled out the open window to her pursuers._

_"Shizu, get back in here!" wailed a frightened girl in the backseat. "They're trying to kill us!"_

_"And they won't manage it," Shizu said, grinning cruelly. Letting go of the steering wheel, she threw open the driver's door to lean out, firing her own plasma gun at her pursuers. At the sound of one of the men screaming in pain, her grin grew wider. "You're too slow, punks!" she yelled. "And Boss Man, I know you're seeing me pick off your lackeys! We're gonna find you and stop your scheme of world domination, mark our freaking words!"_

"Wow, this is great!" Aki cheered, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "When'd this come out again?"

"The DVD came out just last month!" Miho said, reaching out to take her own popcorn. "It took me forever to find a copy – most places I went to sold out fast!"

"Is this girl a very popular actress then?" asked Coffee.

"Oh yeah! Emi Watanabe's been really big lately. I've got _all_ her movies!" Miho grinned. "Hey, Hiromi, how're you liking this? Er, Hiromi?"

Hiromi just sat there, huddled up in the blanket Miho had kindly provided, hands over her eyes. _"Just tell me when the scary part's over,_" she whispered.

* * *

><p>At this time, a limousine was entering town. In the backseat were two girls, one nervously fidgeting with her skirt.<p>

"Don't worry, Emi!" said the other, adjusting her glasses. "Everything will be okay, as long as you remember the plan."

"Y-Yes..."

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>Mirai shuddered. "A premonition!" she cried.<p>

It was the next morning, and everyone was at school again. Most of Mirai's classmates ignored her, but Hiromi leaned over and poked her with her pencil.

"What's the premonition?"

"Is it good or bad?" asked Aki.

Mirai smiled brightly. "It's-"

Just then the door opened, and everyone scrambled for their seats as Mrs Matoko walked in...with someone trailing behind her. The relative commotion that normally occurred during seat-finding quieted as everyone stared, realizing who it was.

"Okay, everyone, we have someone joining our class today..." Mrs Matoko began, standing with the new girl in the front of the room.

The girl wore a uniform already, but it looked like she'd had it for a while. New clothes had a certain vividness to them, and this uniform looked as well-worn as everyone else's. She held her hands in front of herself, smiling cheekily at her classmates. She had short-cropped, caramel-colored hair and aqua eyes. She was-

_"Emi Watanabe!"_ someone screeched.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: The Poor Idol's Tragedy. The Girl in the Mirror<p>

* * *

><p>"Watanabe was accepted into Chuushin High shortly after entrance exams. She attended for a few weeks but had to leave to finish filming for a miniseries. But filming is over, and now she can attend school again." Mrs Matoko looked over at Emi. "Do you have an introduction speech?"<p>

"Sure do!" Emi grinned broadly, shoving her hands into the pockets of her uniform. "It's nice to meet ya all! So I've been tutored during filming, but I consider myself a Chuushin student at heart – ask my tutor, he'll say I even wore this uniform during our sessions! I won't be taking on another role for a few months, so I'll be allowed to stay here til I gotta go again. Any questions?"

Antoinette raised her hand, leaning back in her chair. "Yes, I have some. That speech didn't tell us anything about you at all!"

"Antoinette!" Yuki hissed.

"I'm sorry, but I mean – introductory speeches are supposed to be about your interests, hobbies, your goals...all you did was talk about how you were filming and now you're not. Don't you have a real speech?"

_"Antoinette!"_ Yuki jabbed her with his pencil.

Emi just smiled. "Well, what can I say you don't already know? I'm fifteen years old, I love video games and drag-racing, super-spicy food, all that stuff!"

"Alright, if no one else has a question for Emi, she may take her seat next to Aizawa over there."

Emi grinned and took her seat, running her fingers through her hair and apparently ignoring all the stares she was getting.

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, three members of Shitsuren were seated around the coffee table, awaiting the fourth. Tamora eyed the little cakes hungrily, and reached out to take one.<p>

Riche slapped her hand.

"Ow! Heeeey," Tamora pouted, rubbing the back of her hand.

"Tamora, it's rude to begin eating without the _entire_ party," Lady said, brows knitted.

Tamora just pouted even more. "Yeah, but we've been waiting for_ever_! I don't think he's gonna-"

Suddenly the large doors opened, and Shylock entered the room, as casual as you please. He ignored the looks the other three gave him as he cross the room to an empty chair, and sat with one leg over the other. After a moment of silence, he looked at the other three. "I was on the other side of the Manor," he offered by way of explanation.

Lady cleared her throat. "Well, ah, yes, ahem..." she began. "I was speaking with Break again," ("What?!" cried Riche) "And they haven't been very happy. A third Cure recently awoke... I told Break that we still had Cure Ariel in our grasp but..." Lady shivered, a pained expression on her face. "Break is displeased. I did manage to calm their rage, and said we are making excellent progress with the River Despair, and my own experiments are coming along wonderfully...

"That seems to have worked, and Break believes if we flood the river faster, then perhaps Pretty Cure can simply drown in it. Either way, we must keep working to achieve our goal."

"And if we're going to attack, I think Tamora should be the one to go today," Riche murmured into his teacup.

"What? Why me?"

"Because I went last time, Shylock has errands to do, and Lady prefers to remain here. Besides, it might toughen you up a little," he said.

Tamora pouted, face red. "Ffffffine!" she snapped. "But I'm not leaving til after the tea party!" she added, cramming some chocolates into her mouth.

* * *

><p>"Sorry, everyone!" called up the janitor. "But we've got a big spill on these stairs! You'll have to use the ones on the other side of the hall."<p>

"Aw, maaaaaan!" groaned Aki. "I hate going over there..."

"What's wrong with the other stairs?" asked Emi.

Class was over for the day, and everyone had filtered out of the room, ready to go home or to club activities. But of course,_ this_ had happened.

"Ohhh, right, you weren't here for that," Antoinette said with a little smile. "Well~! It just so happens that some time ago, the school put a mirror on the landing of those stairs over there." She pointed down the hallway, where a bunch of students were heading, grumbling and sharing nervous looks. "Nobody likes to take them because..." She grinned widely, tilting her head a bit so there were more prominent shadows on her face. _"The mirror is haunted~_ If you look into it for too long, you'll see something that shouldn't be there, and it will pull you inside the mirror world forever."

Emi blinked, and for a split-second a distressed look appeared on her face. But just as quickly, it was gone, and she just laughed. "Well, we should be fine as long as we don't look into it, right?" she asked as their group reached the the stairs.

"That's the story," Mirai cheerfully offered. "I've always felt something odd about that mirror anyway, so you know it's true."

Everyone walked down the stairs, pointedly not looking at the mirror. Some just stared ahead, Antoinette cleared her throat and held a hand in front of herself...

Hiromi's bag wiggled a bit and Ti peered out. Huh, the mirror didn't _look_ out of the ordinary. It was just a huge mirror, slightly shimmery but that was probably just a trick of the light. In fact, he didn't think it was haunted at all! That was the-

Emi, bringing up the rear of the group, happened to glance over at the mirror just then, and saw Ti's reflection.

_"Kyaaaaah!"_

Hiromi and Aki whirled around to see Emi pointedly looking away from the mirror, idly rubbing the back of her neck.

"Uhm...Emi? Was that you just now?"

"Fffft, no way, not a chance! It takes a lot more than that to scare Emi Watanabe!" the idol laughed, tossing her head and flicking her hair as best she could.

Aki and Hiromi exchanged glances. "Are you sure? Because it sounded like-"

"Ah, puh-leeze~ Emi Watanabe, that's me, has been in tons of horror, gritty action, and crime-based miniseries. I've seen way worse stuff on a daily freakin' basis. A stupid little _mirror_ ain't gonna scare me," she added, jerking her thumb towards the mirror. Then she looked back at the other two, as everyone else had already reached the bottom of the stairs and were heading out. "Hey, so, ah, I don't have to head back to my place for another few hours. You guys wanna do somethin'? I wanna enjoy the day before I gotta prepare for the stupid interview."

"Ah..." Aki frowned. "Yeah, it'd be super cool and all, but wouldn't you get recognized? We'd be mobbed!"

Emi just winked, reached into her schoolbag, and produced a shoulder-length wig in the same shade of her hair. "Oh ye of little faith..."

* * *

><p>In the mall, Miho sat on a bench by the interior plant displays, sipping a strawberry shake. <em>Loudly<em>. After a moment, she looked up and smiled. "Aki! Hiromi! And...uh..." She frowned, seeing the girl walking behind them. "...person."

The girl behind them smiled, stroking a lock of her hair.

"Uh...Miho...this is Emi," Hiromi stammered. "She just transferred to Chuushin, and she was hoping she could tag along on our day out."

"Well, uh, I wasn't expectin' anyone else," Miho admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. Then she smiled. "But sure! The more the merrier! C'mon, Emi!" she added, grabbing the girl by the elbow and dragging her over to her. "We can start by getting you a milkshake! Milkshakes for us all!"

"M-Miho, you already have one!"

"Not anymore," said Miho, tossing the empty cup in the trash. "C'mooon~!"

* * *

><p>After milkshakes, their first stop was an accessories shop. Hiromi stood in front of a mirror next to a selection of hair decorations, checking her reflection as she held a blue ribbon headband just over her head. "Hmmm..." She frowned and lowered the blue headband to switch it with a pink flower headband. "Mmm..."<p>

"May I suggest green?"

"Huh?" Hiromi turned around to see Emi smiling warmly at her, holding a wide bright green headband with a small bow on the top. "Here...I think this one brings out your eyes."

"U-Uhm... Okay..." Hiromi took the headband and faced the mirror. Her eyes widened as she put the headband on. "You're right! Emi, it's so pretty!" She blushed pink as she turned around to smile at Emi. Then she blinked, seeing the soft smile on Emi's face. "Uhm...Emi-"

"Ah! Aha, one of my entourage has a look similar to yours, and she always has a green headband so I- yeah! Ahaha, I'm gonna go look at fingerless gloves!" And with that she walked off, leaving Hiromi to frown at her back.

* * *

><p>In a cosmetics shop, Aki was browsing nail polishes. "A-hm..."<p>

"You know what polish I really like?" Emi said, coming up next to Aki. Without waiting for an answer, she reached past Aki and pulled a bottle off the shelf. "Cerulean Star! It's blue-green, sparkly-shimmery, and there are these little star-shaped sequins!"

"Oh...well, thanks, I'll try that!" Aki grinned, taking the polish from her. "So it's really good, huh?"

"Oh, yeah, it's my favorite – ah!" Emi blinked, a nervous smile on her face. "Ahaha...I tried it once!"

"Mmm-hm."

* * *

><p><em>"Awwwwww!<em> How cute!" squealed Miho, fists under her chin. She stood before a crane game in the mall arcade, staring at the plush prizes inside. She cheerfully inserted a few tokens and seized the controls. "Here I go!"

Emi glanced over, then walked over to stand behind Miho. Her eyes grew wider and began sparkling as she looked at the face of a plush pink kitten. Then she smiled widely, hands clasped under her chin as the claw closed around it.

"Yes!" Miho yelled, holding her prize over her head.

"Aaaaaa, congratulations, Miho~!" Emi cheered, clapping her hands. "I'm jealous!"

"You want it?"

"Eh?"

Miho grinned, holding the plush cat out to Emi. "Seriously, you can take it. I really wanted the white rabbit that was under it."

"A-Are you sure?" Emi stammered, flushing pink. Behind her, Aki and Hiromi exchanged another look.

"C'mon, take it."

"Well..." Emi held her hands out, gently taking the cat into her arms. She hugged it to her chest, cuddling it a little. Her head bowed, lips quivering a little, and then she squealed, nuzzling her face against the top of its head. _"It is so adorable~! Thank you, Miho, thank you thank you thank you-!"_ Suddenly she stopped, smile freezing as her eyes snapped open. "Ah...ahaha, I mean, it's...it's uhm..."

"Say, Emi..." Aki began, stepping forward. "Can you answer something real quick?"

"Ah – yeah! What's up?"

"This is the _real_ Emi Watanabe...isn't it?"

Emi froze.

"Wait..._she's_ Emi Watanabe?!" squealed Miho.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki pose back to back, forming a heart with their arms while Miho feverishly sketches them. Finally she smiles, and turns her sketchpad around – to reveal she's been drawing Coffee and Ti the whole time. Hiromi and Aki gape at her for a second before all three start laughing, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Miho, Hiromi, and Aki hold a large heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left, Aki taking the right, and Miho holding the bottom corner. They pull, and as the cookie comes apart there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the trio are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>The quartet sat in the outdoor food court, at the center table. Emi was staring nervously at the tabletop, toying with a section of her wig. Aki had bought everyone a soda and small ice-cream to make this easier, but so far it didn't seem to be working.<p>

"So...you know, it's none of our business, I know, but..." Hiromi began, adjusting her glasses. "Well, you're acting so different than you did at school. Your voice is softer, your expressions are softer... You seem to really like make-up and cute things, and you didn't mention that at school..."

"Well, we wanna be friends, Emi, but we gotta know which you is real and which one was acting!" Aki added.

"Yeah, and when we're done here, can you sign my copy of 'Motorbike Rampage?'" asked Miho.

"Miho!"

"I-It's alright," said Emi. Her voice was still softer, shyer. She lifted her head, meeting everyone's eyes. "I'm, uhm...this is Emi. This is the real me..."

Aki's expression softened. "So, if you don't mind me asking-"

"Why did I act like my movie characters in school?" Emi finished with a wry smile. "I've...Listen, do any of you know what my first big role was?"

"Oh, I do!" Miho said. "It was Vampire Schoolgirl. You were ten and played a tough-as-nails vampire hunter! Er, as tough as nails as a grade-schooler can be, anyway..."

Emi nodded. "And I was so good at that, that my next role was for a similar character. And I was so good at _that_, that I was cast as the same thing, and I was so good at _that_ - are you starting to see a pattern?"

Everyone nodded.

"Now that I think of it..." Miho muttered, stroking her chin and frowning. "You tend to play the same character archetype. You're the tough, foul-mouthed, no-nonsense action girl. Sometimes you break the law, sometimes you play by it. But you're always... That's not so bad though, right? A lot of actors are type-cast!"

"That is true," Emi admitted. "But I started out so young. I was type-cast from a young age, and my parents didn't want the media talking to me too much when I was littler. So without people being able to see the real me, and seeing how I was in all those movies, eventually they started to think that _was_ the real me..."

* * *

><p><em>Emi sat in her room, browsing a fanforum on her laptop. <em>

_'Emi Watanabe is so tough!'_

_'She's super-cool and doesn't take anyone's crap!'_

_'I wonder if she's ever broken someone's arm in real life though. I bet she has, she's so tough and cool!'_

_She bit her lip, frowning_.

* * *

><p>"So many people think I'm amazing and tough and rough and that I hate girly things – you know how often I'm paired with a girly girl, or a shy and sensitive boy, and I'm mean to them? The fans think I must hate those types of people! I've seen comments online from such sweet-sounding, adorable people who don't want to come to my autograph signings because they think I'll hate them! Fans ask me to say something brash, and just-" She sniffled, stroking her wig. "I want to be <em>me...<em>But I'm scared no one will let me, or I'll let all my fans down."

"I'm not let down."

Everyone looked over to Miho, who was leaning with her elbows on the table, a warm smile on her face. "I'm not let down," she repeated. "Emi, lemme say first off that I am _so psyched_ to meet you, and I _adore_ your work. Seriously, you are a _great_ actress – you have to be, to play someone who's like your polar opposite!" she laughed. "But I know that reality isn't the same as movies or tv. Actors aren't always the same way they are in real life as they are in the movies. Honestly, the only way I could be let down is if you were mean! And you're not – you're super nice and super cute.

"I've got all your DVDs – movies and miniseries. I've got everything you've ever been in, and I've loved your work since I was a kid. And I'm not let down in the _slightest._ I'm glad to meet the real Emi Watanabe." She reached across the table to clasp the other girl's hands. "I'm sure everyone else will be too."

"G-Girls..." Emi whimpered, eyes tearing up.

Tamora kept grumbling as she entered the food court. "I don't even get a chance to take a break? Seriously?" she grumped. "Stupid Riche! 'You can't have tea or chocolate! Not til you fill the river some more!' Who does he think he is?! I deserve to have a vacation too- _Ehhh?!"_ She stopped a few paces away from the girls' table, staring wide-eyed.

They all looked up, meeting Tamora's gaze. "Uh..." Hiromi mumbled. "Why are you in a mall?"

"Do Shitsuren go shopping?" Miho muttered.

"I'm not shopping!" Tamora yelled, face red. "I'm not allowed to have a break or have fun today! And here I am, seeing _you_ having fun! It's not _fair_! Ooooh, this makes me mad!" yelled Tamora.

She quickly pulled out her Heartbreak Marker and drew a slashed heart in the air, then shot it towards the group. "Fall into heartbreaking despair!" Before anyone could react, the symbol struck Emi in the chest, and a second later she was dropping to her knees, wailing as if her world had fallen apart.

Tamora laughed, holding her arms skyward. "Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world!"

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

"I'll get rid of you today, Pretty Cure!" Tamora shouted, stomping her foot. She swiftly drew another symbol in the air and shot it at one of the artificial palm trees that adorned the border of the food court. "Fall into heart-breaking despair! Come out, Usotsuki!"

The tree flashed a dark purple before transforming; now it stood fifteen feet tall, with long, thin arms and legs. The palm leaves stuck straight up, sharp and pointy. And of course, the furious red eyes and mouth were present. "USOOO!"

As the rest of the patrons fled the area, screaming, Hiromi looked to the other two. "Girls!"

"Right!"

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"The steadfast love in a maiden's heart, Cure Portia!"**

The three of them stood in a row with Portia in the center. Capulet and Montague each held up one hand while Portia held both of hers, arms crossed in front of her. Together, they formed two hearts with their hands.

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"**

"I've got Emi!" yelled Montague, picking her up and taking setting her inside one of the restaurants and out of danger.

"Then we've got this!" said Portia, as she and Capulet charged at the Usotsuki.

The Usotsuki roared and tilted its head down. Suddenly a spray of small, razor-sharp leaves flew towards the Cures. Capulet and Portia held their arms to shield their faces as they skidded to a stop, their gloves, sleeves, and skirts earning a few tears.

"That's it, Usotsuki, keep doing that!" Tamora called from her seat at one of the tables. She glanced away from the fight to see the food that'd been left behind. "Oh, a soda, yum."

"S-Sound of the-" Capulet tried to summon her Rapier Wand, but every time she tried to move her arm, one of the leaves would scratch her face, often dangerously-close to her eyes. She'd be wide open!

"Capulet, try to run- gah!" Portia yelled, ducking down and covering her face as she attempted to try her own advice. But nope, that didn't work either – the Usotsuki just cackled and turned slightly to follow her, ensuring she wouldn't get far. And its range was wide enough to still get both her and Capulet, so Capulet couldn't attack either...

And suddenly the onslaught stopped.

Capulet and Portia lifted their heads, staring in surprise at-

"Montague!"

Cure Montague stood in front of them, holding an umbrella she'd grabbed from one of the tables, blocking the leaves. They still tore and ripped at the fabric, but the metal skeleton stretching it got in the leaves' way and ensuring they veered off-course and dealt minimal damage.

"Now's your chance!" Montague called back with a grin.

"I got this!" Portia jumped up into the air above the umbrella. **"Sound of the Bells! Chest of Revelation! Pretty Cure Bronze Truth Shoot!" **

The Usotsuki didn't realize what was happened til it was too late. It lifted its head again, eyes wide in shock just before the glowing heart slammed in between its eyes. "U-Uso-!" it rasped just before the heart expanded and the creature disintegrated.

Portia landed back with the other Cures as Montague tossed the umbrella away. "Everyone okay?"

"Fine!"

"M-Me too..."

Tamora just stared slack-jawed. "I'm not fine!" she finally managed to say. "I'm still super-mad! You just wait, I'll come back!" she promised, grabbed the soda she'd been sipping at, and teleported away.

* * *

><p>"Emi...Emi!"<p>

Emi groaned, blinked and lifted her head from the table. "Huh?" she blinked again at the trio sitting with her. "Did...Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah," said Aki. "I bet you were so worried over tonight's interview that you were losing sleep. You just shut your eyes for a second and _bwip_! Out you were!"

"O-Oh...how embarrassing..." Emi mumbled, blushing pink and toying with her wig.

"Do you wanna go home maybe, prepare for the interview?" Hiromi asked, standing up and grabbing her bag.

Emi stared at the others for a second, then lowered her gaze and frowned. After a moment of thought, she stood up, hands flat on the table. "You know what? I have a better idea!"

* * *

><p>That evening, Aki, Hiromi, and Miho were gathered in the latter's tv room, a bowl of popcorn in front of them. Coffee and Ti were sitting in Aki's lap, hidden by the blanket she wore around her shoulders and allowed to fall over her front. The lights were off, and the tv was already tuned in to the right channel.<p>

"You guys nervous?" Miho asked, glancing at the other two.

They both nodded.

"Yeah...same..."

Nana ran into the room just then, turning up the volume as the show host appeared onscreen. "Emi Watanabe's up, she's up!" she yelled before sliding in beside her cousin, sticking her hand into the popcorn bowl.

"Hiiii, everyone~! It's Aiko Ai, idol interviewer, and interviewing idol! And up next, we've got the mega-popular Emi Watanabe-" she paused to allow for the roaring applause. "Emi Watanabe here for a live interview! Miss Watanabe, come on out!"

The applause was as loud and enthusiastic as ever, but as Emi came out, it began to falter, a few confused murmurs being heard.

Emi wore her wig, a butter-yellow ribbon headband adorning it. She was wearing a soft yellow tunic with a pale pink flower pattern gradient on the bottom half, pale pink capris, and white flowered d'Orsay shoes. The nails on both fingers and toes were pale pink with sparkles, and her lips had pink gloss. She smiled, a bit nervously, at the audience, giving an awkward wave before she sat down, hands clasped demurely in her lap. "Hi, Miss Ai. It's good to be here!"

"Ah – yes, it's good to see you, Emi! I didn't expect you to look like this..."

"Ahaha, do you like it?" Emi smiled nervously and twisted a lock of her wig around her finger. "I've really always wanted to dress this way – I quite like this style, these colors."

"Did you grow your hair out, Emi?"

"No, this is just a wig. But I would love to grow my hair out to this length. Until then, this will have to do."

"It's been such a long time since you've been interviewed – I didn't think this was your style! I guess I've been thinking you'd be like your last few movie roles, you fit into them so well!"

"Haha, well that's acting for you!" Emi laughed behind her hand, then her expression turned serious. "But really, that's what it was. Acting. Actors often pretend to be someone they're not, and that's what I've been famous for – those characters I play aren't me. They're nothing like me, I don't act like that at all.

"My name is Emi Watanabe, I love cute things and strawberry cakes. I have a sensitive tongue and I can't handle spicy food, I prefer sweets and delicate floral flavors. I play video games on occasion, but most of them are dating sims and things like Princess School. I'm not happy playing the same mean and loud-mouthed character all the time, and after this interview I'll be speaking to my agent about getting me more varied roles, including some that are closer to my own personality, roles I'll be a lot happier in.

And from now on, I'll be accepting more interviews, and this is how I will be in them. Myself. If you can't accept that I'm like this, nothing like my roles, if you can't accept _me_, then too bad. I don't have to change my identity to please _you_."

There was a long, tense pause. Miho gulped loudly, squeezing her hands together. On the screen, she could see Emi was resisting the urge to bite her lower lip.

There was the sound of someone clapping.

And then two people were clapping. Two more. A few more, and more, and finally the entire studio audience was applauding. Even Aiko looked happy, clapping a few times herself before she realized she was supposed to be giving an interview. "Ah, well, that was a great speech, Emi! I look forward to seeing your newer roles, and I look forward to seeing you as you are more often!"

Emi laughed, wiping a tear from her eyes. "Th-thank you!"

Nana blinked. "Well, that was unexpected...But good for her."

Miho sighed in relief, shoulders slumping. "Phew...thank goodness! I was a little scared she'd chicken out after we went to the trouble of getting that outfit for her..."

"You should have more faith in your heroes, Miho," Aki said, slipping Coffee and Ti some popcorn.

"We have faith in ours, datchu," Ti whispered.

Aki chuckled, scratching the top of Ti's head as the interview continued.

"So tell me, Emi, what's your absolute favorite food?"

* * *

><p><em>"My favorite food?" Shylock echoed, frowning at Cure Ariel.<em>

_The two of them stood at a footbridge, leaning over the railing. There wasn't a food cart or restaurant for quite a ways, so what was this about?_

_"You remember what it is, don't you?" he went on. "It's plain peaches."_

_"Ta-da~!" Ariel laughed, holding out a peach to Shylock, seemingly out of nowhere. "That's what I thought. I just wanted to be sure that it didn't change since the last time we had a meal together."_

_Shylock stared blankly at her before he sighed and took the peach from her. "You're so strange, Cure Ariel..." he muttered._

_"I know," she smiled._

_Shylock then froze, eyes widening slightly as Ariel leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth._

_"...but so are you," she chuckled as she pulled away. "Guess we're a real match."_

_He stood there, staring for a moment longer before his eyes closed, and a real smile appeared on his face. "I guess so," he murmured, his hand finding one of hers._

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Miho: "Awww, aren't you such a good dog?"

Hiromi: "M-Miho, what the heck is that?!"

Miho: "It's a _dog_, obviously! Isn't he adorable?!"

Aki: "Miho, I don't think that's a dog! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Miho's New Pet? Oh No!' Let love heal your heart!"


	11. Chapter 11

"Tamora?"

"Ah! Yes, Lady?"

"Have you seen my latest experiment?" Lady murmured in concern, her delicate hand over her mouth. "I went to check on it, but it seems to have gone missing..."

Tamora just sat there, a cookie halfway to her mouth, a frozen smile on her face. "Ahhhh..."

_"'Can't have any more cookies, can't have any chocolate, punishment for not dealing with Pretty Cure,' blah blah blah..." Tamora grumped as she stormed down the hall. "If they're not gonna give me any sweets, I'll have to steal some then! I bet Lady's got some!" She grinned as she came to Lady's door, turning the handle-_

_-and then screaming as something large and black bowled her over, breathing heavily on and batting at her face before taking off down the hall and out of sight._

_"Th-That wasn't chocolate!" Tamora squealed._

"N-Nope, haven't seen it~!" Tamora said, too loudly as she popped the cookie into her mouth.

Lady frowned, her expression clearly saying she didn't believe Tamora. Despite this, she turned and moved on to the next room. "How very peculiar..."

* * *

><p>Miho stood outside her house, checking the mail that'd come in. "Let's see...Electric bill, reminder for our yearly check-up, cable bill, <em>Beat<em> magazine – oh hey, our subscription's about to run out..." She frowned at that last one. "Hm...I better hurry and-"

Something was running towards her.

"Renew-"

She looked up.

"The-"

They locked eyes.

Miho was knocked to the ground with a loud, shrill scream.

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"Miho, what's wrong?!" Nana yelled, running for the door.<p>

"Get off me! Get off, get off – Nana, help me – Aaaaah!"

"Miho!" Nana shrieked as she ran outside, skidding to a halt just beyond the front steps. She stared in stunned silence at the sight before her: her sweet, baby cousin on the walk outside their house...

...laughing and holding back a large dog-like creature's head with one hand as she tried to sit up beneath him. "Ahahaaa! G-Get off me, silly, you're heavy!" she laughed as the creature barked and licked her cheek. "Haha, yuck! Okay, okay, I like you too, get offa me!"

The...creature, because it only barely looked like a dog, backed off just enough to let Miho sit up and wrap her arms around its neck. "Ahaha, Nana, look, I made a friend!" she called over.

Nana just stared, speechless.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Miho's New Pet? Oh No!<p>

* * *

><p><em>"What the heck is that thing?!"<em>

"-Datchu?!"

Miho grinned at the girls and their fairies, her hand resting on "that thing's" head. "This is my new dog! His name is Pochi."

"D-Dog?" Hiromi squeaked, half-hidden behind Aki.

Indeed, the creature in Miho's sitting room certainly didn't look like any dog they'd ever seen. It was large, stood on all fours, and was somewhat canine in appearance, yes, but it also had large red irises – they'd never seen that eye-color on a dog! - with tiny pupils, too-large fangs with a too-red tongue, its body was pitch-black, and the claws looked a bit too sharp for a canine. Its ears stood straight up, coming to a sharp point, its wagging tail was just as sharp at the tip. Ti _swore_ he could see _something_ rippling along its silhouette, like tiny flickering, barely-perceptive flames. And it just...

It just _felt_ wrong.

The thing – er, Pochi – barked, making the two girls jump a little.

"He's uhm...i-interesting!" Aki managed to say. "He won't bite me, will he?"

"Pochi? Naaah, he's nothing but a big sweetie-bug!" Miho giggled, hugging the dog around the neck.

Pochi barked and turned to lick her cheek - _and holy crap he had a long tongue._ Like a snake, or a lizard!

"So uh-" Coffee held Ti behind her, as if to shield him in case Pochi decided he liked to eat mice and rats. "What breed is he?"

"I dunno. I think he's a Doberman. He kinda looks like one, except for some...oddities, but maybe he's a mix..." Miho muttered, frowning somewhat. Then her frown vanished, replaced by a big smile and she hugged him again. "Ooooh, but I don't care either way~! I love him to bits! Nana wasn't too pleased at first, but when I showed her Pochi was already so well-behaved-" She gestured around the room, showing that nothing had been knocked over, or broken, or urinated on between that morning and her friends coming over. "She said it was okay for me to keep him! I just have to remember to keep him fed and take him on walks – he's _my_ responsibility!" she said with an air of pride. "He's already got a collar, see?"

To illustrate this, Miho reached down and grabbed a pink collar, gently securing it around Pochi's neck. Pochi didn't seem to mind, barking joyfully again and wagging his tail harder, making Miho laugh. "What a good boy!" she cooed.

Aki and Hiromi exchanged wry looks. "Uh...so you seem busy with Pochi there," Aki said. "You want us to leave?"

"Oh, that's right!" Miho gasped, eyes wide. "Ohhh, we were supposed to go to the arcade! I'm sorry, but with my new dog..." She began, pouting a little.

"It's cool, we understand!" said Aki.

"Y-Yeah, we can uh...d-do something else," added Hiromi, shuddering a bit as Pochi yawned and gave them an impressive view of all his teeth. "L-Like...anything else." She gulped loudly and seized Aki by the elbow, dragging her out of the house. "S-See you later, Miho! C'mon, Aki!"

Miho kept smiling as the door slammed shut, then sighed and looked at Pochi. "They must not be dog-people..." she muttered.

Pochi lowered his head and whined.

"Awww, but don't feel sad! I love you just the way you are!" she giggled and hugged him again. "Hey, you wanna go to the backyard and play with the ball? You wanna play ball?!"

Pochi barked loudly.

* * *

><p>Aki and Hiromi walked down the street to the arcade, trying to calm down and get the image of that dog out of their minds. Coffee shivered and hugged Ti close, petting the back of his head. Ti, for his part, looked up at the others in concern.<p>

"Was it really okay to leave her with that thing, datchu?"

"Well, you heard her..." Aki mumbled, a bit nervously. "He's her new dog, and he hasn't done anything to hurt her. Or break anything, or pee in the house."

"That last one's kinda weird..." Coffee muttered.

"And it seemed happy...so, as scary as it looks, I guess we can trust her with it?" Hiromi shot Aki a nervous look. "A-And she's Pretty Cure! If something happens, she can stop it!"

"Are you suggesting Miho transform and attack her dog?!" gasped Coffee.

"N-N-No, not that! I mean, she can handle it! Bop him on the nose or something!" Hiromi said hastily.

"If you say so..."

* * *

><p>"You want the ball~? You want the ball~?" Miho held the tennis ball above her head, shaking it tauntingly. Pochi barked and jumped up, but Miho pulled the ball away again. "You want it? You want it? Okay, go get it!" she laughed and threw the tennis ball as far as she could.<p>

Pochi barked and raced after the ball, effortlessly finding it in the bushes it'd landed in. Miho's laughter didn't last for very long, as Pochi brought it back – at top speed.

"Wh-whoa, Pochi, hey wait - oof!" Miho was bowled over, skidding a few inches and sending up blades of grass in her wake. The ball was dropped next to her head and Pochi began frantically licking her face, much to the girl's amusement. "P-Pochi! Pochi, stah-ah-ah-ahp!" she laughed, trying to shove the big dog off. "Okay, okay, no more ball!"

Pochi finally stepped back to let Miho stand up, his tail still wagging and his tongue still out. When Miho tensed, he stopped panting and tilted his head, ears perking slightly.

"Instead..." Miho grinned deviously, flexing her fingers. "It's belly-rub time~!" And with a hearty laugh, she fell atop Pochi, scratching furiously at his sides and belly as his legs buckled and he rolled over.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Pochi, now Nana hasn't driven out to get the kibble just yet – she promised she would this evening though! - so you can have people food." Miho turned away from the fridge and winked, a finger to her lips. "Just for today though! As a special treat!"<p>

Pochi barked, eyes lit up.

Miho chuckled and turned back to the fridge, a large bowl already in one hand. "Let me see now...Something a dog can eat..."

Moments later, the bowl was half-full of baby carrots, a few leftover pieces of chicken, and a few slices of cheese. Miho wasn't sure _she'd_ ever eat them together, but Pochi would probably enjoy it! And apparently he did, because while Miho sat on the counter top eating peanut butter from a jar, Pochi was happily (and messily) devouring his lunch. Then he licked up the mess he'd made, licked his chops, and finally sat back on his haunches to watch her eat.

Miho blinked, glanced at the jar in her hand, then held it protectively to her chest. "Oh no!" she said. "This is _my_ peanut butter!"

Pochi whined pitifully.

"Nope! You're cute but you're not that cute!"

He whined and pawed at her shin.

Miho stuck her tongue out and ate another spoonful of peanut butter. "No way~" Just because he was cute and she'd spoil him rotten didn't mean he could get away with begging!

* * *

><p>Pochi made a mess <em>again<em> that evening when Nana brought the kibble and a new dog dish – among other necessities - home. And as before, he ate the kibble off the floor, then begged for the girls' food.

Nana nervously held her plate at arm's length, eyeing the dog warily. "M-Miho, you think he needs a vet?"

"How come?" Miho asked around a mouthful of salmon.

"W-Well, look at those eyes! And his tongue! Th-that isn't normal!"

"But he seems so healthy...I'm sure he's fine!" Miho said. Then, before Nana could say anything more, she added "I think he just needs to sleep it off, have some food and water, maybe a bath... Once he's fed, cleaned, and rested, I bet he'll look much better!"

"W-Well, he did come off the streets..." Nana admitted. She yelped when she saw Pochi had suddenly moved to her other side, and held her dinner the other direction. "M-Miho, please put him in your room til after dinner!"

"Yeah, sure. C'mon, Pochi!" Miho stood up and left for her own room, Pochi excitedly following her.

When Miho entered her room and flicked the light on, Pochi immediately ran for her futon, flopping onto it and rolling onto his back as if expecting treats. His happy smile faded when Miho knelt sternly in front of him. "Now, Pochi," she said. "You shouldn't beg for food, okay? You have your own food, and it's _rude_ to do that. Okay?" She paused, as if waiting for an answer. When she didn't get one, she went on. "You can paw at your dish if you're still hungry, but no begging. 'kay?"

Pochi barked.

"Good boy~!" Miho laughed and scratched Pochi's exposed chest. "See you later, Pochi!"

As she left the room and shut the door, Pochi rolled back onto his paws, staring at the door. After a moment, he huffed and laid his head down to nap.

Shortly after that, however, he was awoken by Miho, pulling at him to go into the bathroom with her. Much to her surprise, he leaped into the bathtub instead of trying to escape, and sat quietly while she scrubbed his warm body and dried him off with a large, fluffy towel. Even Nana was surprised at how well-behaved he was at that point, and made a mention of picking up dog treats tomorrow.

"Oh, I can do that! I'll walk Pochi tomorrow morning and we can pick some up together!" Miho said.

After bathtime, Miho got a few thumbnails sketched out, Pochi gnawing on a thick rope behind her all the while. No playing together, no conversation, just enjoying each other's company.

And then late that evening, Miho slept under the covers of her futon, using Pochi as a pillow. The dog snored softly, his leg occasionally twitching as Miho snuggled against him. He shifted a bit, briefly disturbing Miho's rest.

Her eyes opened a crack, blinked, and then she closed her eyes to sleep again. "Hmm...Pochi..." she mumbled.

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, Lady had still not found her experiment. She sighed quietly as she stood before a large mirror, smoothing down one of her ringlets. "Well, if it's not here..."<p>

She held her hand out, palm-up, and briefly flexed her fingers. Instantly, a Heartbreak Marker appeared in her hand.

"I suppose I will have to search the human world."

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki pose back to back, forming a heart with their arms while Miho feverishly sketches them. Finally she smiles, and turns her sketchpad around – to reveal she's been drawing Coffee and Ti the whole time. Hiromi and Aki gape at her for a second before all three start laughing, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Miho, Hiromi, and Aki hold a large heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left, Aki taking the right, and Miho holding the bottom corner. They pull, and as the cookie comes apart there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the trio are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Miho woke up early, before the sun had fully risen. Hey, Pochi deserved to have treats early as possible, and the store was open 24 hours, so why not? She yawned, stretched, and threw her coat on over her pajamas. "Pochi, come here," she called, smiling when he immediately approached her. "Aww, good boy! Okay, leash...and there, let's go, Pochi!"<p>

Pochi barked loudly, making Miho jump.

"P-Pochi! It's still early, Nana's asleep! Sssshhhh..." she whispered.

He was silent.

"Good boy!" Miho smiled again, and off they went.

* * *

><p>The streets were quiet under the dusky, purple-pink sky, a few stars still twinkling above. A few streetlights were still on, but they were almost unneeded, with the sun rising. Miho jogged down the quiet, empty streets, Pochi trotting ahead of her. This was a nice time to walk, she thought to herself as she looked around. Quiet, the scenery was pretty, they wouldn't run into a jogger or anyone, so she'd get to be alone with her thoughts – and Pochi, of course.<p>

Yeah...yeah, she'd definitely make this her time for walks.

Pochi suddenly stopped, and growled.

"Eh?" Miho stopped, eyeing Pochi in concern. "What's wrong, boy? Huh?" She lifted her head to see a woman walking down the street. At first, she thought maybe the woman was picking up the mail or newspaper, but she was already dressed and made-up. And...rather elegantly, at that. "No one wears something that fancy to bed..." Miho mumbled to herself.

Then she noticed the woman was walking right _towards_ her.

"Ah! You've found my Usotsuki!" the lady gasped, clapping her hands together and running for Miho and Pochi.

Miho drew back, gently tugging Pochi's leash to take him with her. "U-Usotsuki?" she murmured.

"Well, there's no reason I should hide it, yes?" the lady said, tilting her head. "I recognize you – you're the Pretty Cure who awoke in the shopping district."

_Miho reached into her pocket, staring at the Cure Signet in astonishment. _

"How do you - You weren't even-?" Miho gasped. "You're the one who made the Usotsuki!"

"Yes, that was me. Lady, of Shitsuren, at you service," the woman – Lady – smiled and curtsied. "It wasn't my best work, but..." She smiled down at Pochi. "I was hoping this one would be better."

"Pochi's not an Usotsuki!" Miho snapped back.

"I know he looks very much like a dog, but I assure you, he is. I made him in my labs, you see. I admit, he isn't perfect, and not quite finished – my poor daughter let him out by mistake before I could add the final touch." She flexed her hand, and a Heartbreak Marker appeared in her hand. "Speaking of which..."

Before Miho could react, Lady had uncapped the Heartbreak Marker, drawn the symbol, and shot it Pochi.

He let out a shrill, fast cry as it struck his forehead, pulsated once and enveloped him in dark purple light.

_"Pochi!"_ Miho shrieked.

Before her eyes, the light flashed, and Pochi's form grew fifteen feet tall and mutated. He was still canine, but more monstrous – black flames flaring all along his spine and tail, sharp claws digging into the sidewalk and breaking it apart, fangs that protruded past his lips and went beyond his muzzle, and, as Miho saw when he briefly whipped his head around to look back at her, soulless red eyes with no pupils.

"P-Pochi..." Miho whispered.

"My, my..." Lady exclaimed softly, approaching Pochi and guiding his head back towards her. She smiled sweetly at him as if she were dealing with an adorable kitten and not a monstrous dog. "What an adorable Usotsuki..."

"A-Adorable?!" Miho yelled back. "This is not adorable! Look what you've done to Pochi!" She pointed at him as she spoke, her hand trembling a bit. "You're hurting him!"

It was true. Pochi was still growling, yes, but there were whimpers beneath that. He was trembling faintly, as if in pain but trying to suppress it. He was turning his head a bit, trying to get out of Lady's grasp but unable to.

"Hm?" Lady murmured, brows furrowing in concern. "What's this? He doesn't seem to be attacking...How very strange, most of the Usotsuki begin attacking immediately – even Shylock's ferret-Usotsuki made a token effort."

"Let go of him! Change him back!" Miho screamed.

"I wonder if something went wrong when I created him? Ah, but that can't be..." Lady murmured, ignorant of Miho's cries and the way Pochi was whimpering in agony. "I used only the freshest bit of heartbreak and despair in my supply..."

After a particularly loud whimper, Miho yelled again, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. _"Let him go!"_

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song! The steadfast love in a maiden's heart, Cure Portia!" **

Portia charged forward, fist ready-

-and shot right past Pochi, driving her punch into Lady's wrist.

Lady stumbled back, one hand lightly rubbing the injured spot, but aside from that she displayed no outward signs of pain. "Oh my," she tutted. "You'd attack _me?_" She lifted her head a bit, her smile growing a bit colder. "So you do recognize the enemy, then. That's good, I was a bit worried, all you ever did was attack the Usotsuki instead of aiming for one of us."

"Yeah, sure, we'd totally aim for the person who's just standing around and not the monster trying to destroy something!" Portia shot back, running forward and trying to kick Lady's shoulder.

Lady effortlessly caught her by the ankle, stopping the attack. She smiled still, serene as Portia tried to push her back and land a hit. "The last Cure did not like to attack us either... I was a tad worried; I thought, 'What if the legendary warriors can't stand to actually fight back?'" She casually tossed Portia's leg away, stepping backwards as Portia scrambled to regain her balance and charged towards her again with an angry roar. Lady simply gathered her skirts and took several steps to the side.

Portia ran for her again, Pochi's shivering and whimpering form in the background only fueling her rage. She tried to delivery a flurry of punches and kicks at Lady, but Lady just continued to step aside, moving in a wide circle and speaking as if they were chatting about the weather.

"Not that it'd be a problem if you couldn't attack us, it would make our job so much more easier. But, it's not exactly sporting, wouldn't you agree, my dear? And I was honestly afraid you didn't have your priorities in order...But it appears that I was wrong, and I'm honestly quite delighted by this! So go ahead, my dear, keep trying to attack me!" Lady said with a smile.

Portia shrieked and ran for Lady again, not noticing until Lady teleported out of the way just where she was. She gasped, skidding to a stop, her fist just centimeters away from Pochi's nose. "Pochi-! Kyah!" she shrieked as Lady kicked her in the back, sending her against Pochi's snout.

Pochi growled loudly, then roared, the force of the expelled oxygen sending Portia flying backwards. She brought her arms up to shield her face, leaning forward against the wind as her heels dug into the road. When she finally stopped, she lowered her arms, staring wide-eyed at what had once been her dog. "Pochi..."

"Hm...but you know," Lady said conversationally, checking a pocket watch she'd pulled from nowhere. "I would dearly love to continue our battle, or stay to see how you fare against my failed experiment...But I'm afraid I'm running behind schedule. If you'll excuse me, we must continue this another time. My apologies."

"Wait, you can't-!"

"Goodbye," Lady said with a curtsy, and then she teleported away.

Portia didn't notice or care. All she could focus on was... "Pochi!" she screamed, running towards him. She slowed to a stop just in front of him, her hands held up in a placating manner as she looked at him in horror and despair. "Pochi..."

Pochi whimpered as he looked at her. His eyes were still blood-red with no pupils, Portia could see her reflection in them, but his brows were lowered. His brows were slanted downward, his body heaving, breathing ragged between whimpers.

"Oh, Pochi...I'm so sorry..." Portia whispered, choking back a sob. She reached a little more, resting her palm on his large, wet nose. "I should have gotten you away from her the minute I saw her, I should have gotten in the way instead, I should have..."

The dog-Usotsuki whuffed, ruffling Portia's hair and skirt. He gazed back at her, looking as if he wanted to cry but was unable to do so.

"I'm sorry..." Portia choked on her sobs. "I'm so sorry, I don't know how I can-" But that wasn't true. There was a way. Portia's free hand curled over the brooch on her chest.

...There was a way, but she wished it wasn't so.

"Pochi..." she sobbed, eyes closing, a few tears trickling down her cheeks. She tensed up, gasping quietly as Pochi lifted his large head and gently licked her cheek with the slightest touch of his tongue. _It's okay, Miho..._ Portia sobbed again, opening her eyes. Though she was still crying, there was a small, soft smile on her face. "Pochi...Pochi, I love you...No matter what, I'll..."

Pochi looked at her still, but the sad and scared look had been replaced by gentle understanding, relief, and trust.

Portia's breath caught again. "No matter what, Pochi...I'll always, always, always love you." Gently, she leaned forward to kiss his nose, then stepped back, wiping her eyes with a fingertip.

**"Sound of the Bells! Chest of Revelation! Pretty Cure Bronze Truth Shoot!"**

The glowing heart hit Pochi in the forehead, the soft glow enveloping his body as he closed his eyes.

Portia fell to her knees, unable to watch him disintegrate. Her eyes closed as she began to softly cry – she knew when it was over, she could see the faint light and glimmer behind her eyelids, indicating any damage done to the area had been reversed.

But who cared about that? Pochi was gone...

"I'm sorry," she whispered, sobbing faintly. "I'm...so..._sorry."_

Something licked her face.

Portia gasped and lifted her head, eyes snapping open. Staring right at her was a normal Doberman, happily wagging his tail and panting. A familiar collar and leash was around his neck...

"Pochi?" she whispered.

The Doberman barked.

Portia's eyes teared up again, far more than before, and her expression broke out into a quivering, but large, smile. _"Pochi!"_ she shrieked, opening her arms.

The dog leaped onto her, knocking her down and licking her face as Portia laughed between her sobs.

How it happened didn't matter. Pochi was still here! He was alright!

* * *

><p>"Ehhhh, he looks a little different..." Hiromi mumbled later that day.<p>

The trio stood in Miho's backyard, watching as Miho bathed Pochi in a kiddie pool. He was behaving beautifully, not moving or making a fuss as Miho gently ran the hose over his spine to wash off the soap.

"Well, it's like I told Nana," she said with a broad smile. "A bath, some food and water, and he'd be fine. Pochi just needed some TLC."

Pochi barked, as if in agreement.

Aki laughed and scratched the dog under the chin. "He does look pretty handsome now," she admitted.

"He won't get in the way of Pretty Cure, will he?"

"Shouldn't," Miho said. "I've explained it to Pochi, and he understands that sometimes I'm gonna have to kick some butt. I'll always be home in time to feed him, and take him for his morning walks."

The others glanced at each other. "You...explained it, datchu?" Ti asked.

"Sure did!" Miho smiled softly, scratching Pochi's ears and offering him a spoonful of the peanut butter she'd brought out with her. "Pochi understands more than you might think..."

* * *

><p><em>"Shylock! Shylock, look!"<em>

_"What is it?" Shylock jogged over to Cure Ariel, looking to where her own gaze was directed. "Oh...it's a bird."_

_A baby bird was resting in the grass, peeping miserably and trying to flap its feeble wings._

_Ariel bit her lower lip. "The poor thing...it must have fallen out of its nest." She stood up and looked around. "Aha!" She smiled as she saw a next up in a nearby tree, a mother bird looking around with a worried expression in her eyes. "There! That must be-"_

_A dark blur shot past her, making her blink in surprise. "The nest...?"_

_Before she knew it, Shylock was climbing up the tree, the baby bird sitting inside his scarf contentedly._

_As he drew nearer, the mother bird chirped loudly and began flapping her wings in alarm._

_"Shhh, it's okay," he muttered as he stopped in front of the nest. Gently and slowly, he reached into his scarf and pulled out the baby bird. He held it out to its mother to show her it was unharmed, then gently deposited it into the nest. As the mother bird began chirping again and nuzzling at her baby, Shylock smiled gently. "There."_

_He climbed back down and approached Ariel, who just stood there staring. Shylock looked a little uncomfortable, tugging on his scarf a bit. "What is it?" he asked._

_Ariel began chuckling, hiding her smile behind her hand. _

_"What?"_

_"Nothing. I just didn't expect you to be so good with animals, Shylock!"_

_Shylock turned red and averted his gaze. "I've always wanted a pet..." he muttered. "But Lady and Riche would never forgive me." He looked back at Ariel. "Is that weird?" he asked. "Someone like me liking small animals like that?"_

_"Of course not!" Ariel smiled. "It's adorable. Listen, if you want a pet, someday I'll get you one, okay? A bird!"_

_"You really don't have to-"_

_"Please?" Ariel clasped his hands, smiling brightly at him. "When we live together. We'll have any pet you like."_

_Shylock blinked, then turned red again as he grasped her full implications. Finally, he nodded. "A-Alright..." he whispered._

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "I can't take this anymore!"

Aki: "I haven't even done anything wrong!"

Miho: "G-Guys, what's going on?"

Hiromi: "Well...well, fine! If you can't see this, then-"

Aki: "_Fine!"_

Miho: "G-_Guys?!_ Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Are We Breaking Up? Our Love Story Can't End This Fast!' Let love heal your heart!"


	12. Chapter 12

"I'm off to school! Bye-!"

_"I can't believe you would cancel like that!"_

Hiromi jumped in alarm, standing by the front door. That sudden shout had been Kiyomi, most definitely. But what did she have to be mad about so early in the day?

A quick glance at Emi, who stood in the kitchen over a pot of curry, told her that her sister didn't know either. Emi glanced at Hiromi, placed a finger over her lips, and edged towards the hallway where the phone sat. As both she and Hiromi, quickly joined by the two other sisters, peered around the corner, they all saw Kiyomi speaking angrily on the phone to someone.

"I've been looking forward to this movie for a week! And you pick _the day before the premiere to cancel?!"_ There was a pause as the other person spoke. "No, I don't want to hear any excuses! You don't even have an emergency or a schedule-change, you just don't wanna date me anymore!" Pause. "Well, fine, if that's how you feel!" Kiyomi slammed the phone down, muttering _"Jerk!"_ under her breath.

The others ducked away as she approached, trying to act casual. Kiyomi sighed, then grasped Hiromi by the shoulders. "Little sis!" she said.

"Ah, y-yes?"

"Never ever date men! They're rude and pushy and they won't listen to you, and you'll just fight all the time!"

"Kiyomi, you had _one_ fight..." muttered Harumi, tapping her fingernails against the wall.

"Once you fight, that's it!"

Hiromi chuckled sheepishly as she edged out of her sister's grip. "Ahaha...you don't have to worry about that, Kiyomi." _Aki's way nicer than a guy...and there's nothing to fight about!_

Her smile faltered a bit, however, as she remembered a few instances from earlier. Aki suddenly announcing what she wanted to do, without asking Hiromi; suggesting they watch a different movie instead of the one they'd agreed on earlier... But it was still okay!

Right? 

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo <p>

* * *

><p>"Okay! Hiromi!"<p>

Hiromi looked up as Aki approached her desk, a broad smile on her face. "Aki?"

"So, Hiromi! Let's get hamburgers!"

"Eh?" Hiromi frowned. "But-"

"I really feel like a hamburger today, ahaha~" laughed Aki, touching her lips with a fingertip and smiling. "So hey, let's go get some, huh?"

Hiromi...frowned. _This..._

"I was thinking we can get the bacon hamburgers, and the chili-cheese fries, those are super-good, and we'll get two huge strawberry shakes-"

_Aki..!_ "Why's it gotta be what _you_ want?" snapped Hiromi.

The few remaining students looked over to where Hiromi and Aki were, confused by the sudden increase in noise. Neither girl seemed to notice, staring at each other; Aki with confusion and Hiromi with irritation.

"I don't want to get a hamburger! I didn't want to a few days ago and I don't want to today!" Hiromi huffed.

Aki stared...then shrugged. "Okay, so let's go get ice-cream-"

"I don't want that either!"

"Argh, then what _do_ you want?" snapped Aki, hands going to her hips. She wasn't smiling anymore. "What do you wanna eat?"

"I don't! I don't wanna eat somewhere with you, Aki, not today and not right now! You're always doing what _you_ want!"

"Hey, that is so not true! And what's with this hostile attitude all of a sudden, huh? Geez, normally you're way quieter and more polite than this."

"So now you don't like how I act? You just want me to be a pushover?!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Yes it is!"

"You know, if you're gonna act like this, then I don't wanna eat with you today!" Aki yelled, face red.

"Good, because I didn't want to in the first place! And maybe if you listened to me more, you would have heard me when I said it the first time!" Hiromi yelled, then grabbed her bag and ran from the room. "You never listen to me, Aki!" she yelled over her shoulder.

"Yes I do! You're just being a brat right now!" Aki shouted back, the redness in her face having reached her ears. Furiously, she stormed back to her desk, snatched up her bag, and marched out of the room.

Everyone remaining glanced at each other in confusion. What had _that_ been about? 

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Are We Breaking Up? Our Love Story Can't End This Fast! <p>

* * *

><p>The next day at school, Aki approached Hiromi's desk – at least, she made it halfway there. Abruptly, she stopped, blinked, and then walked back to her own desk with an uncomfortable look on her face. Silently, she made her way to her own desk, set down her school bag, and sat with her chin in one hand.<p>

Hiromi bit her lower lip and turned to look out the window instead of at Aki, still silent.

Mirai frowned and leaned over, tapping Hiromi's shoulder. "Hey...hey, Hiromi?" she whispered. "Are things okay? Usually Aki comes over to talk to you before class..."

"Y-yeah, usually..." Hiromi mumbled into her hand. "We, uhm...didn't even meet before class today."

"You do that?" asked Mirai, blinking. Hiromi blushed in embarrassment, but Mirai didn't seem to notice, and prodded on. "What happened? Aki's our friend, she always comes over to talk to us! What happened?"

"We uhm, we had an argument..."

"Okay?"

"And uhm...yeah, we just had a fight. Okay?" Hiromi's words had a slight edge to them, and it made Mirai draw her hand back and stare. But before she could say anything further, Mrs Matoko entered the room with a loud sigh.

"Okay, everyone, back to your seat- oh." She stopped, blinking when she realized the people she _normally_ had to say that to were already in their seats. "Ah, well then. Very good. Okay, today for Literature, I want us to talk about the story of Orpheus and Eurydice..." 

* * *

><p>Shylock wandered through Heartbreak Manor, his footsteps echoing around the empty corridor. He passed by a large picture window that provided an excellent view of the River Despair – as all the windows did. But he didn't look out at it.<p>

He had more pressing things on his mind.

_The girl with the long hair – Otome – turned around when she heard him coming, her expression breaking into a huge smile. "Shylock! I'm so glad to see you!" she cried, running towards him._

Shylock's grip tightened on his scarf as he slowed to a stop.

"...it's not here," he whispered to himself. "I've checked everywhere, and it's not-"

He saw something gleaming from the corner of his eye. Turning towards the end of the hall, he saw a large mirror, one that went from ceiling to floor, and an ornate black frame: swirls and curlicues and waves. As he stared, the light seemed to catch on the glass again, a brief glimmer going across its surface.

"What if..." he began to say, reaching for the mirror's surface.

"Shylock."

The young man turned away from the mirror in slight surprise – the cloaked figure hadn't appeared in the mirror's surface. "Break," he said simply, dropping to one knee and bowing his head. "I didn't expect to see you out."

"I'm not _confined_ to one room, dear boy..." Break intoned, stepping forward so fluidly they may as well have been gliding. They were tall, head nearly brushing the ceiling, and their hooded cloak was so dark, even when they passed in front of the window, none of their features could be seen. None but the glowing red eyes, like two coals from a sea of blackness. They stopped directly before Shylock, staring as if sizing him up.

Or perhaps, attempting to read his mind.

"I have been worried about you still," they said after a long silence.

Shylock looked up.

"You don't travel outside the Manor very often. I have to send you away myself. And when you _do_ leave..." Break paused thoughtfully, letting the words sink in. "When you _do_ leave, you do not create Usotsuki. I have only seen you create _one._ Furthermore, you were seen speaking to a friend of Pretty Cure, as if...as if she were a friend of yours as well." Break's head lowered somewhat, those red eyes staring down into Shylock's green. "I dearly hope that is not the case."

"It is not."

"Because contrary to what Lady might have told you, you are _not_ entirely off the hook." Break's voice became low, and hissing. They stooped down even lower, staring directly into Shylock's eyes. "I doubted your loyalty from the beginning, but you were able to only _slightly_ allay my worries. I thought, 'perhaps he just needed a chance to prove himself,' and I agreed to your little request, provided you did your duty. But you did not. You do not go to the human world, you do not create Usotsuki nor do you create despair. You skitter about, in the shadows, like a cockroach and when you _do_ appear, you hover by Ariel's door.  
>Perhaps I should go back on my word..."<p>

"No!" Shylock's voice came out louder than he intended. Hastily, he bowed his head again in a display of humility, and spoke in a lower tone that he hoped didn't betray his nerves. "No, please. You promised me you would spare her – I am grateful for this, I truly am, just give me another-"

"Today."

"N-No, not today," Shylock spoke thickly. "I need – allow me to formulate a plan. Then I will-"

Break straightened up, but continued to stare down at Shylock. "Very well," they said. "But that will be your _last_ chance. Do not disappoint me. Riche!"

Riche stepped from around the corner, tugging on his collar awkwardly. He hadn't thought Break had noticed him, hiding around the corner, but...well. "Yes, My Lord."

"You shall go."

Riche bowed, sending Shylock a warning look from behind Break's back. "Yes." 

* * *

><p>As the final bell rang, three students glanced at each other before looking to either Hiromi or Aki. Mirai bit at her lower lip as Hiromi simply gathered her things and left...without waiting for Aki. Yuki and Antoinette, meanwhile, echanged worried glances as Aki didn't seem to notice.<p>

The three of them seemed to have a short, mental conversation. Mirai glanced at the two of them and subtly jerked her head at Aki. Yuki's lip curled and he shook his head, then tilted it at Antoinette. Antoinette gaped at him, then at Mirai, then looked back at Yuki. The boy shook his head, first at her and then at Mirai. Mirai frowned and jerked her head again; Yuki held his hands out palm-up. He turned to Antoinette again, shaking his head a second time as she gave him a pointed look and raised an eyebrow. Finally he sighed quietly, and looked over at Aki. "So, uh...you're still mad at Hiromi, eh?"

Aki blinked. "It's-!" she began, then stopped, and sighed. "It's not...that I'm _mad,_, it's that..."

"That?" Antoinette prompted, cycling her hand.

"Well...we fought. We're not supposed to do thing like, like go home together anymore, right?"

The other three stared.

"Or eat together, alone – that's kinda intimate, right? I mean...I mean we fought and we never fought before and that means-" Aki suddenly halted, face turning red. "Ah...ah, never mind! I'll see you all tomorrow!" She hastily bowed, and fled the room.

Yuki clicked her tongue before glancing at the other two girls. "Okay, she's totally dating Hiromi," he deadpanned.

"Wait, _what?!"_ Antoinette screeched.

"I was beginning to think so too..." Mirai admitted softly, nodding.

_"What?!"_

"But I don't get what the big deal is. So they had a little argument, that's no reason to just shut each other out altogether. That's not how relationships work, is it?"

"I didn't think so...I mean, my mom and dad have little fights all the time and they're fine."

_"Seriously, you two, what?"_

Yuki sighed and folded his arms. "Maybe Aki's not used to this. I mean, I can't even remember the last time _I_ argued with her."

"You think they'll be okay?"

"If they're still being stupid tomorrow, we'll talk to them."

Antoinette slammed her hands on her desk. "Am I the _only_ one who didn't notice this?!" she screeched. 

* * *

><p>Miho was out front, tossing a ball to Pochi when Hiromi walked past. She smiled brightly, and began to wave at her. "Heeey, Hiromi, you wanna- eh?" Miho stopped suddenly, and frowned. Something wasn't right... Hiromi was walking with her schoolbag dangling from limp fingers, her head down and her eyes unfocused. She wasn't even walking so much as she was shuffling, dragging her feet along the sidewalk.<p>

Even Pochi seemed concerned, tilting his head and whimpering.

"Hiromi?"

"A-Ah, Miho!" Hiromi looked up, forcing a smile. "S-Sorry, I didn't notice you."

"Yeah...hey, it something up? What's th' matter?"

"Eh?"

Miho narrowed her eyes slightly and put her hands on her hips. "Oh c'mon, don't play dumb. Hiromi, you're an open book, and right now your story is _miserable._"

Hiromi blinked and looked away. "W-Well, you see-"

"Something came up."

The other girls looked up to see Aki standing there, her own expression as downcast as Hiromi's. Soon, however, she smiled, tilting her head cutely. "S-So ah...w-we're rethinking our relationship."

Hiromi's hands tightened on the handle of her schoolbag. "That's- ...yeah," she mumbled.

"Wait. You broke up?!" Miho gasped, and even Pochi started whining again. "But – but you guys looked so cute! And wh-what's this mean for Pretty Cure?!"

"Oh, we're still a team!" said Hiromi hastily. "Just...I mean, I don't think we should be dating anymore...is all."

"Y-Yeah..." mumbled Aki. "Hey, ah, look, I gotta get home soon-"

"I thought you wanted burgers!" Hiromi said before she could stop herself.

Aki bit her lip for a moment, then forced another smile and laughed. "Ah, I'm not hungry anymore... Anyhoo, gotta get home! See ya!" And with that she took off down the street.

"M-me too!" Hiromi said, taking off as well.

"Wait! You two, heeey!" Miho yelled after them, but neither of them seemed to hear her. She sighed in exasperation, and looked down at Pochi. "You know, Pochi, romance is weird. That's why I avoid it altogether."

Pochi barked his agreement. 

* * *

><p>Emma was wiping down the table for dinner when she heard the door open and close. "Ah, young miss! Welcome-"<p>

Fast footfalls ran down the hall, up the stairs, and then there was the sound of a door slamming.

"...home?" Emma blinked in worry.

Upstairs, Aki lay on her back atop her bed, one arm over her eyes. She remained in that pose for a while before rolling onto her side, catching a glimpse of a photo pinned to her bulletin board. It was another one she and Hiromi had taken at a photo booth – Hiromi was smiling awkwardly and making double-peace signs, and Aki herself hovered in the background, gently lifting up Hiromi's twintails.

_"A-Aki, don't keep that one, I look horrible!"_

_"No way~! You're super adorable, Hiromi, no matter what the circumstances. I'm keeping this!"_

_"Akiiii, you're so mean!"_

Aki repeated those words, back then meant in jest but now she wasn't so sure, to herself a few times. "Yeah...I'm really mean, aren't I? I even called her a brat..." she whispered against her pillow. Her lips quivered a bit, then she pressed her face into the pillow and softly cried. 

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki pose back to back, forming a heart with their arms while Miho feverishly sketches them. Finally she smiles, and turns her sketchpad around – to reveal she's been drawing Coffee and Ti the whole time. Hiromi and Aki gape at her for a second before all three start laughing, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<br>Eyecatch 2: Miho, Hiromi, and Aki hold a large heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left, Aki taking the right, and Miho holding the bottom corner. They pull, and as the cookie comes apart there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the trio are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Late in the evening, Emma had just finished cleaning the dishes when Sebastian entered the kitchen. "I've finished preparing tomorrow's breakfast menu," he said simply. Then he caught a glimpse of the one remaining plate on the counter. It was loaded up with that evening's dinner – hamburger steak with carrots and potatoes, and a small biscuit with honey-butter congealed on top. His stoic expression softened into one of sympathy as he looked at the ceiling. "She still hasn't come out of her room, then?" he asked.<p>

Emma shook her head sadly. "I summoned her for dinner, but she said she wasn't hungry. So I left it out for her, thinking she'd be down later but..." She glanced at the clock; it read ten o'clock.

Sebastian sighed and tore the plastic wrap off the plate before setting it in the microwave. "I'll take it to her right now," he said, and began to pour a cup of milk while the food reheated. "Even if she's fallen asleep, I'll wake her up. I don't like the thought of her sleeping on an empty stomach."

"She's never like this," Emma murmured, biting her thumbnail anxiously. "What do you suppose is wrong?"

"I'm not sure." The microwave beeped, as if on cue, and Sebastian carefully removed the plate and set it on a serving tray. He quickly fetched some silverware, and placed the drink on the tray as well. "But I'll speak with her." 

* * *

><p>Aki wasn't asleep. She was just lying there, curled up in a ball, staring at nothing. Ugh, what was wrong with her? Why'd she have to call Hiromi a brat? Hiromi hadn't done anything wrong...<p>

She replayed the conversation back in her mind. If anything...yeah, if anything, she was the one t fault, right? Just flat-out going "hey, let's get hamburger" without asking Hiromi if it was okay... For all she knew, Hiromi had homework that night, or wanted to do something else, or wanted to eat with family.  
>And now she'd just broken off things with her girlfriend, the cutest and nicest girl around, over <em>hamburger.<em>

A faint knock on the door snapped her back to the real world. "It's open," she mumbled listlessly as she sat up.

Sebastian entered the room and set her dinner on her nightstand. "You need to eat, Aki," he said simply.

"I do? What time is it?" Aki looked at the clock, blinking in surprise. "Oh."

"You didn't know?" Sebastian's expression softened again and he sat down on the edge of the bed. As Aki scooted closer to him, he spoke again. "What's wrong? You're never like this."

"I...I had a fight with someone close to me, Sebastian..." Aki mumbled. After being so tired, drained, all day, she didn't want to lie. "And now I just...I don't think we should be friends anymore."

"Why not? Did they say that?"

"Well – well, no," Aki admitted. "But I mean...we had an argument. That means we weren't as close as we thought, right? So...so I should back off, we shouldn't-"

"Did you never fight with any others before?"

"Well, maybe a few times-"

"And what happened?"

"Well, normally we apologized and things were okay but- but this person is different! They're very special and-"

Sebastian smiled. "So if they're that special and important to you...then isn't that all the more reason to apologize?"

Aki blinked. "Eh?" 

* * *

><p>Hiromi shuffled out of her room, leaving Coffee and Ti behind to watch some TV. They hadn't said anything about her argument with Aki, and she didn't want to bring it up if they weren't. She was making her way down to the kitchen for a snack when she passed Kiyomi, all dressed up and wearing make-up. "Eh? Kiyomi, what are you-?"<p>

"Oh! Oh, I called Taki to apologize for what I said, and he told me that what he was trying to say was that he wanted to catch a later showtime. Not cancel altogether. Ahaha!" She blushed as she laughed, covering her mouth with a hand. "How embarrassing..."

Hiromi frowned. "But...but you sounded really mad on the phone earlier."

"Well, I was mad at the time, yeah. But hey, it's not the first time we argued."

Hiromi blinked. "It's...not?"

Kiyomi gave her little sister an odd look, raising one eyebrow. "Well...well, no. I mean, we've never had _big_ fights before, just little ones, but yeah. We have all sorts of little arguments. Whose turn it was to pick the restaurant, he got mad that I scratched his car once, I got mad when he forgot his wallet...But like I said, they were all little things. At the end of the day we still love each other and we move on. A fight isn't the end of the world."

Hiromi's eyes widened a bit. 

* * *

><p>"If you truly feel sorry for something you said or did, you apologize. You don't want to lose someone so precious to you over one argument, do you?"<p>

Aki sat there, staring at her hands, clenched into fists on her lap. Finally, she nodded, looking up at her butler with a tearful smile of gratitude. "Thanks, Sebastian," she said, hopping up.

"Where are you going?"

"I gotta find Hiromi!" 

* * *

><p>"Ah, Hiromi, it's late!" Kiyomi yelled as Hiromi ran out the door. She grabbed her sister by the arm, sighing heavily as she pulled out her cell phone. "Wait one second..." she mumbled. <p>

* * *

><p>Aki ran down the streets, making her way to Hiromi's house. She was breathing heavily, her arms pumping madly as she ran, but there was still a broad smile on her face. Of course... of course, she didn't need to break things off! This was one fight! There was no need to have any sort of break-up, she just had to say sorry, and if Hiromi wanted to be broken up then she'd respect it but-<p>

But this was just one argument! This could be fixed!

She skidded to a stop as headlights approached and a car pulled up in front of her. The passenger door opened, and Hiromi burst out, nearly falling back in because she'd forgotten to unbuckle her seatbelt. After fumbling with it for a bit, she flung herself out at her girlfriend, arms open. _"Aki!"_

"H-Hiromi!" Aki yelled, hugging her tight.

Kiyomi stepped out of the car, smiling at the two of them. "...okay, that's cute," she muttered to herself.

"Aki, I'm sorry about what I said!"

"No, I'm sorry about what _I_ said!"

"And I'm sorry I have to cut this short." That wasn't any of the three.

Everyone looked up to see Riche standing atop a streetlight, Heartbreak Marker in hand. He sighed, actually looking somewhat upset. "Much as you do remind me of my darling wife and I right now... Well, no hard feelings, of course? Fall into heartbreaking despair!" And before anyone could stop him, he uncapped the marker and drew a slashed heart in the air, shooting the symbol towards Kiyomi. As Kiyomi let out a loud wail and fell to her knees, crying as if her world were falling apart, Riche flung his arms out and spoke. "Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world!"

"Kiyomi!" screamed her sister.

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

"And as for you – Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on, Usotsuki!"

Another symbol was drawn, shot towards the car. Or, to be more precise, it shot for what was _in_ the car. Kiyomi's door was still open, and a box of chocolate was sitting on her arm rest – apparently it had been meant for her boyfriend. The symbol attached itself to the box, and both it and the car flashed purple. When the light faded, the car had grown double its size, the headlights had become angry glowing red eyes, and – perhaps most gruesomely – the heart-shaped box of chocolate now sat against the windshield, beating and pulsing like a real heart. "USOOOO!" it roared, with a sound like an engine revving.

Aki looked frantically at Hiromi, as the latter covered her mouth in horror. "Hiromi!"

"R-Right!"

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"  
>"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"<br>"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"  
>"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"<strong>

"Get it away from my sister!" Capulet screamed, tugging Montague's wrist and prompting her to run down the street.

"USO-VROOOOOM!" The Usotsuki revved its engine again, and took off after them down the street, leaving black skidmarks in its wake.

Kiyomi was relatively safe as long as the monster was away from her, and it'd keep pursuing them, right? So the logical thing to do was run.

And that was what the Cures did, using their speed to their advantage to keep just out of the Usotsuki's reach as it chased them down with killer intent.

"Montague!" Capulet yelled again, skidding a bit as she turned a corner. "I'm sorry for snapping at you in class! I shouldn't have just yelled like that, you didn't deserve that!"

Montague grabbed Capulet's hand to help pull her along when her steps faltered a bit. "Well, you know, I'm sorry for just assuming you'd want to do what I did! I've been doing that a lot – making plans without consulting you or asking what you want first, and it's not right! We're a couple, that means we both have to be happy and your opinion matters just as mine does!

"I shouldn't have called you a brat either!" she added as they rounded yet another corner. "You're never being a brat – you were mad, and that's understandable! Your feelings and emotions are totally valid no matter what they are!"

"I'm sorry I accused you of never listening to me! You _do_ listen to me, you really do and I know that, but I was just really angry and – and I guess I was just worried because Kiyomi had an argument with her boyfriend just before I left and-"

"That's okay! But I should listen more! I should have just asked what you would like to do instead of yelling back at you!"

"I yelled first though!" The two of them put on an extra burst of speed as they rounded one more corner and recognized where this had all started. Riche stood where he always had, looking bewildered as the girls rapidly approached him.

"But you were _mad!_ I deserved it!"

"You _never_ deserve to be yelled at, Montague! No one does!"

"So we're both in the wrong? But I was more wrong!"

"Montague that's not-"

_"Hiromi, it was not your fault, I was the one to blame more!"_ Montague shouted. "And I don't want to break up, I want us to stay together!"

She and Capulet ran towards the streetlight, much to Riche's shock.

"H-Hey, what do the two of you think you're doing?!" he cried.

"And I don't wanna break up either!" sobbed Capulet. "Let's both apologize then-"

"And put this whole thing behind us!"

Montague and Capulet suddenly clasped their hands together, and leaped up. They easily cleared the streetlight, time seeming to slow down as they performed a front-flip above Riche's head, the man gaping in disbelief. _"I'm sorry!"_ they both shouted at the same time.

"USOO-?!"

The Usotsuki had been so preoccupied with mowing the girls down that it didn't see where it was going til too late. It crashed right into the streetlight, badly damaging its front and shattering the windshield. Riche wobbled where he stood for a moment, briefly pinwheeling his arms to regain his balance. "Wh-what in the world-?" he gasped. "Usotsuki!"

"U-Uso..." the monster sounded sheepish, engine sound dying down.

Capulet and Montague, meanwhile, had landed beyond the streetlight, and were currently hugging each other tightly, hiding their faces in each other's shoulders.

"I'm sorry for just assuming you'd want to do what I did, and never asking."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, and never speaking up when something bothered me."

"Let's do better from now on."

"Yes."

And with that, the two girls drew apart and stared at the Usotsuki.

**"Entwine! Our hearts are one! Pretty Cure...Dual Heart Strike!" **

The attack shot through the broken windshield and struck the chocolate-box heart. The Usotsuki gave a gurgling sound as it glowed and disintegrated from the inside-out.

Riche just stared before coughing into his hand. "Well...that could have been handled better." And then he teleported away. 

* * *

><p>Kiyomi looked over her shoulder as she began backing the car up. "I still dunno how it got all the way to the light," she muttered to herself.<p>

Aki and Hiromi, sitting in the backseat, laughed sheepishly. The car had gone back to normal and repaired itself after Riche left, but it didn't go back to where Kiyomi had parked it. But Kiyomi didn't seem to dwell on it _too_ much, instead offering to drop the girls off at Hiromi's house before continuing on to see her boyfriend. "We'll only miss the previews, it's no big deal," she'd said.

Coffee and Ti looked up from the television a few minutes later to see Hiromi and Aki enter the room, whispering to each other and giggling as if nothing had happened. Ti sighed before looking over at his caretaker. "Love is weird, datchu," he whispered.

Coffee nodded. "Beautiful...but weird." 

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa <p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<br>Hiromi: "The Culture Festival is heeeere~!"  
>Aki: "And look at all these stuffed animals! I wanna take them all home!"<br>Miho: "Uwaaaah, they're so adorable!"  
>Tamora: "I want them <em>all!<em>"  
>Aki: "T-Tamora?! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Culture Fest Mayhem! A Boutique of Love!' Let love heal your heart!"<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

The class representative finished writing 'Culture Fest Ideas' on the blackboard, then turned and faced the class with a smile. "Okay, everyone! Let's get started! Who's first?"

Antoinette raised her hand. "I suggest a High Tea, where we all dress as nobility!"

"Would we all _have_ to dress up and drink tea?" asked Yuki. "I think I'd rather be the one providing refreshments."

"Well, in that case, we can have a bakery instead!" Antoinette gasping, tenting her fingers and smiling widely.

"High Tea...Bakery..." mumbled the class rep as she wrote those on the board. "Anyone else?"

"Maybe Mirai can offer fortune-telling."

"Ehhhh, I don't wanna do that!"

"A carnival!"

"How about a play? We can put on the story of Forty-Seven Ronin!"

"There's not _that_ many of us!"

"A fashion show! Fashion show!"

"No good, Miss Rika's class is doing that already..."

"We could sell something? But what would we sell...?"

"Stuffed animals, maybe?"

Everyone fell silent and looked towards Mrs Matoko. The blue-haired woman sat in a chair in the corner of the room, her arms folded as she watched over the proceedings. Realizing she'd actually spoken aloud, and was being stared at, she blinked, then waved her hand and blushed. "Ah, sorry, kids. Sorry, got carried away in your enthusiasm! Don't mind me-"

"That's perfect!"

Mrs Matoko blinked. "Whaaaa?"

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>The words 'Stuffed Animal Boutique' were written in large letters on the blackboard, and the class rep had even decided to draw adorable flowers around it. She smiled as she faced the room, hands flat on Mrs Matoko's desk. "So, it's decided! We rearrange the class to look like a cute, but simple store. We all bring in our old stuffed animals as long as they're still in good condition, and sell them!"<p>

There was a loud murmuring from the class; all of it positive.

"Should we dress up? Like have cute aprons and stuff?"

"I don't see why we shouldn't!"

"Ahhh, this will be so much fun!"

Throughout the whole thing, Mrs Matoko just sat and stared, unable to believe her idea had really taken off.

"Hey, Mrs Matoko?"

She blinked. "Yes, Satou?"

Hiromi sat with her hand in the air, smiling at her teacher. "Will you be bringing in a stuffed animal, too? After all, it was your idea, maybe you were thinking of it, anyway?"

Mrs Matoko blinked again, then put her finger to her lips. "Hmm...you know, come to think of it..."

_A little girl with short, thick pigtails sat on the porch outside, enjoying the summer sun. She kicked her bare feet idly, slurped at a watermelon-flavored popsicle...and then tapped the end of it against a pink teddy bear's stitched-on mouth._

"I think I might have someone."

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Culture Fest Mayhem! A Boutique of Love!<p>

* * *

><p>The next few days passed in a blur. It was the usual academic lessons in the first half of the day, then preparing for the festival. Gathering pastel tablecloths for the desks, which would all be pushed together in groups to form tables for the toys; making paper chains for decoration; creating the uniforms and sewing matching aprons for everyone...<p>

"You think I'm doing this right?" Yuki asked as he held up the pale blue apron he was working on.

"It looks fine to me!" said Mirai with a smile as she stitched her own, pale pink, apron.

"Yes, yes, just keep at it, you're doing fine," Antoinette offered from her own desk, munching on some leftover curry from her lunch.

_"You could at least help, you know!"_

And of course, there was the matter of getting enough stuffed animals.

Hiromi entered the room with her arms loaded up with toys, awkwardly peeking over the top of the bunch. "H-Help me, please!" she called as she took a few tentative steps, trying not to drop anything.

Laughing, Aki ran towards her and caught a black cat before it could topple off the pile. "Geez, Hiromi, got enough there?"

"A-Ahaha...some of these are my sisters'," Hiromi explained, her pink face appearing properly as Aki pulled more and more toys away. "I told them about our idea for Culture Fest, and they all have some old toys they'd like to get rid of..."

"Goodness, Hiromi!" Antoinette gasped as she approached. "I think we'll have enough for our shop from your family _alone!"_

Hiromi blushed again. "W-Well, not really...th-this is only a small portion of our collections..."

Mirai suddenly shuddered and hugged herself. "Premonition! Most of these toys will come from Hiromi and her sisters!"

"Th-that's not a real premonition, Mirai!"

Mirai laughed sheepishly. "Sorry...but I did get a premonition! Everyone should be very careful around bears!"

As everyone else just stared, Yuki threw the sewing needle down on his desk. "Is _anyone_ going to finish helping me with this?"

Just then, the door opened again, and Mrs Matoko entered. Gracefully stepping around Hiromi, she made her way to her desk, calling out "Everyone, back to your duties, please."

"Ah, Mrs Matoko, where should I put these?" Hiromi asked.

"There's a bin over there in the closet, we can keep the toys in there until the day of the festival."

As Hiromi, and a few others who'd brought toys, went to the bin, Mirai looked back at her teacher. "Mrs Matoko," she asked, "You said you were bringing a toy, too, right? And I could feel it! Where's your stuffed animal?"

Mrs Matoko tensed up a bit, cheeks tinting pink. "Ah...Well, Ichiko is a special-"

That caught everyone's attention. "Ichiko?" Aki asked.

The teacher turned pinker and began to nurse at her coffee cup. "Er – I'll be bringing in a toy, but I want to wait until the morning of the festival. Not before. ...I don't want her to get damaged or lost. _Not that any of yours will!"_ she hastily added, spotting the distressed looks on some of her students. "If any of you want to, you can wait til the morning of, too!"

Aki rubbed the back of her neck. "But that doesn't explain who Ichiko is..." she mumbled.

* * *

><p>Tamora stood at Ariel's door, knocking loudly. "Heeeeey! You in there~!"<p>

There was a soft shuffling sound, and Ariel's voice came from the other side. "What do you need, Tamora? If you're looking for Shylock, he hasn't visited today."

"Not that! I was wonderin' if you wanted to tea party with me."

There was silence on the other side of the door. Stunned silence, Tamora could tell by the atmosphere.

She took it in stride, smiling brightly. "I tried to give you that cake earlier, but you didn't want it, but like – I still wanna play with you! We're the youngest girls here, we should be like sisters! So yeah, I'm asking you to tea party with me!"

"Er – Tamora, I don't-"

"Don't you want to get to know each other?" Tamora's voice softened a little, her smile becoming a serious expression. "Look, we're not bad people. I don't hate you – Lady and Riche don't either. I dunno about Break, but... But yeah, I wanna be friends, Ariel. So what do you say?"

Silence.

Tamora giggled. "I promise the tea won't be poison, if that's what you're thinking."

More silence, and then, "I...I suppose-"

"Great! Ah, but there's one more thing I need, okay? Just hold tight, and I'll be back soon!" Tamora beamed as she ran down the hallway, vanishing into the darkness.

* * *

><p>As the days passed by, the collection of stuffed animals grew even bigger. Soon there was no more space in the bin for them, and some of them had to sit on the bookshelf against the wall. And then there were too many for even that, and they had to sit in a row on Mrs Matoko's desk. That got quite the interesting reaction from Yagami, when he came down one morning to say she'd forgotten to hand in her attendance sheet, and Mrs Matoko had to gently scoot a few bears and a giant caterpillar aside.<p>

Yet for all the animals that were there, this Ichiko one never made an appearance.

Not til the day of the festival, anyway.

It was just a few hours until the Culture Fest would be officially underway, and everyone was putting the finishing touches on the décor and their uniforms. The entire classroom was clean, and the blinds were pulled up to let in the sunlight. The desks were shoved together to form tables and were covered with pastel yellow and blue, pink and yellow paper chains were strung up around the walls and ceiling. The animals were all being categorized by type; bears in one place, cats in another, dogs, birds, a whole separate table for the smaller, pocket-sized toys.

Ti stood in front of one of the stuffed mice, staring at it with wide, sparkling eyes. "Uwaaah, datchu..." he whispered. "This one's really cute..."

"But not as cute as you, Your Highness!" Coffee said, patting him on the head.

"But but, look! Her fur is blue! Blue's so pretty, datchu..."

"Eh, how do you know she's a girl mouse?"

"I can tell, datchu."

Hiromi approached just then, smiling nervously as she adjusted her frilly apron. "It'll be safe for you to be out here, just as long as you stay near the stuffed animals."

"And try not to let too many people see you move?" Aki said.

Coffee and Ti both saluted, though Ti quickly looked back at the stuffed mouse again. "You can count on us~!"

The two girls smiled, then turned towards the door as it opened.

Mrs Matoko entered the room, looking a little sheepish. And in her arms was-

"Uwaaaaaah~! _How cute!"_ came the collective cry from the room.

In the teacher's arms was a fluffy pink teddy bear, with a white muzzle and paws. The inner ears were white as well, and both the eyes and nose were a dark fuchsia. It wore a pink ribbon around its neck, a slightly darker one than its fur, and a strawberry-shaped clasp was over the large bow under its chin. Its pink mouth was stitched into a tiny smile, as if it were happy to meet them but a little shy.

Mrs Matoko blushed slightly and held the bear up to cover her own mouth. "Ahem. This is Ichiko, my childhood bear... I thought it finally time she find a new home, someone else to love her."

"How positively darling~!" squealed Antoinette, rushing forward and cooing over the bear. "Oh, and she's in _such_ wonderful condition! Are you sure you've had her for such a long time?"

"Such a - _how old do you think I am?!"_ Mrs Matoko snapped, turning bright red.

"Huh, looks like you were right, Mirai. Beware of bears," Yuki muttered.

Mirai shook her head. "No, that's not what I was sensing, I'm sure of it."

Mrs Matoko coughed and pointedly looked away, hugging Ichiko a little tighter. "As I was saying...This is my childhood bear. When I was a little girl, I would always spend summers with my grandmother. I was a little homesick the first time, so my mother stitched this bear together..."

* * *

><p><em>"Here you are, dear," the girl's mother said with a smile, holding Ichiko to her. "Ichiko will keep you company while you're away."<em>

_"Really, Mama?" she asked, taking the pink bear and cradling it to her chest. She paused, sniffing the air before burying her nose in Ichiko's fur. "Ah! She smells like roses, Mommy!"_

_"I've sprayed some of my perfume in and on her...So whenever you're sad or lonely, all you have to do is sniff, and it'll feel like I'm right here with you..."_

* * *

><p>"Of course, eventually the smell of perfume faded away, but by the time that happened, I didn't need to smell Ichiko all the time. By that point, I loved Ichiko for Ichiko, not because she reminded me of my mother. We did everything together at Grandma's house – we walked through town together, played in the woods...One time I lost her in the stream, and I cried for hours. But that evening..."<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Excuse me, is the little Matoko here?"<em>

_"Ah, yes – Nanako, dear! This gentleman is here for you!"_

_Nanako Matoko approached the door, her face grubby and tearstained. Her suspicious, despairing expression suddenly changed into a large, bright smile when she saw Ichiko in the fisherman's hands. _

_As she ran forward to take her back and hug her, the man explained. "Fished her up a while ago and remembered seeing you with her. So I took her home and got her dried before coming here. I'm sure she missed you a lot, Little Matoko."_

_Nanako sobbed once, then smiled. "Ichiko knew you'd bring her home to me, so she grabbed your line, Mister!"_

_The man laughed. "Yes, it seems she did!"_

* * *

><p>"That evening, I knew Ichiko was special. Well, I mean, I thought she was. I was only six at that time. But ever since, I took extra special care of her, and we did even more things together.<p>

"And when I grew up and got rid of most of my toys and dolls, Ichiko was the one I couldn't bear to be apart from. I kept her safe in my cupboard at home, until I could pass her on to someone else. I just haven't found someone I think will take good care of her yet – Maybe today I will..." she said with a wistful smile, hugging Ichiko tighter.

Hiromi's eyes were watery. "What a beautiful story..." she sniffled.

Mrs Matoko cleared her throat sheepishly. "W-Well! Anyways – Good luck at the festival, everyone. Work hard."

Everyone threw their fists into the air and cheered.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki pose back to back, forming a heart with their arms while Miho feverishly sketches them. Finally she smiles, and turns her sketchpad around – to reveal she's been drawing Coffee and Ti the whole time. Hiromi and Aki gape at her for a second before all three start laughing, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Miho, Hiromi, and Aki hold a large heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left, Aki taking the right, and Miho holding the bottom corner. They pull, and as the cookie comes apart there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the trio are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>The festival had officially begun an hour ago, and already the classroom was teeming with people. Lots of toys had already been sold, but there was still lots more left. Half the class had left to enjoy the festival, and those still working had to alternate between selling the dolls and reorganizing them when someone misplaced them.<p>

Mrs Makoto sat atop her desk, holding Ichiko in her arms as she surveyed the room. She frowned lightly; no one had approached yet to see the bear...

"Heeey, Hiromi, Aki, you guys have a break yet?" Miho called cheerfully as she entered their class, holding her hand up in greeting. "Whoa, look at all the animals..." she muttered then, actually taking a look around. "And _people_..."

"Just a sec, Miho!" Aki said back, taking off her apron and setting it in the closet. "Antoinette, Mirai, you guys got this?"

Antoinette flipped her hair, her cheeks tinting pink. "Of _course_, Aki~! Count on us~!"

Hiromi scooped up Ti and Coffee as she walked towards the door, smiling back at her friends. "We'll tell Yuki to hurry back when we see him." And with that, the three girls left the room.

Mirai waved goodbye, smiling softly. After a moment's pause, she spoke again. "Antoinette, we _told_ you Aki and Hiromi are dating..."

"Sh-Shut up, Mirai!"

* * *

><p>"Nana couldn't make it?" asked Aki.<p>

Miho shrugged, munching on a takoyaki she'd bought from another class. "Nah. She said she was too busy, and she hadn't been at one of these in a long time, so she'd feel weird. Said I'd be more at home here since I used to go here and all." She polished off her snack, casually licked her fingers, and grinned at the other girls. "So your shop looked cute! And really crowded..."

Hiromi chuckled sheepishly, scratching the side of her face. "Y-Yeah...apparently more people like stuffed animals than we thought."

"Of course they do, datchu! People like _all_ animals!" Ti shouted. "Especially blue mice..."

"Yeah yeah, Ti, don't worry..." Aki said, reaching into her pocket and producing the mouse he was looking at earlier. "I bought her."

Ti let out a very un-royal squeal and bodily hugged the doll when Aki brought it to him.

The other three shared a quiet laugh, until Miho blinked in surprise and pointed. "Hey, isn't that Mrs Hisa?" she asked.

The others looked. Sure enough, there was Mrs Hisa, standing in front of a classroom and speaking to the teacher. She was smiling, though there was definite tiredness to her features, new lines and shadows around her eyes. She bowed to the teacher and turned away; in doing so she spotted the trio. "Ah..." She smiled faintly and approached them, nodding once. "I remember you two girls..." she said to Aki and Hiromi. "How are you?"

"W-We're fine," Hiromi said. "But how about you?"

"I didn't expect to see you here!" Aki blurted out.

Hiromi elbowed her.

Mrs Hisa paid no mind, just chuckling behind her hand. "Ah, yes, well...I thought I would come and see what Noa's class was doing this year...She always loved Culture Fests, you see. And I thought, maybe when she comes home again, I can tell her what they did. Take a few pictures..."

The girls and fairies felt a little twinge in their hearts when they noted Mrs Hisa had said _when_, not _if._

"And we always used to go together..." Mrs Hisa murmured, her expression softening and her eyes growing misty. "I just...I just thought..."

Miho took her hand.

Mrs Hisa blinked, gasping faintly in surprise.

The girl just smiled up at her, gently rubbing the back of her hand. "H-hey, I know this right here," with a nod towards their hands, "is pretty forward, but my cousin does this when I'm upset. Mrs Hisa, Noa'll come home. I'm sure of it. And then next year you'll attend the Culture Fest together."

"That's right!" Aki cried, pumping her fists. "And she'll love hearing what you have to tell her about today!"

"Please, just enjoy the festival for both of you! She'll be back home soon!" Hiromi added.

Mrs Hisa blinked again, then smiled, wiping tears away with her other hand. "Thank you, girls," she said. "I'm sure Noa would be great friends with such sweet people like you..."

"Yeah! Hey, let's buy you something!" Aki declared.

"Eh?"

"I'll buy you a takoyaki! Always cheers me up. Let's see..." Aki mumbled, reaching into her pocket. Then she froze, finding it empty. "Ah, crap, I left it in my desk!"

"What?! Akiiiii!"

"Mrs Hisa, can you excuse us a sec? Wait _right_ here!" Aki yelled before dragging her friends down the hall.

* * *

><p>Mrs Matoko sighed heavily, starting to swing her feet. Jeez...still no one approached her and Ichiko. She'd even set the bear down on the desk proper, assuming that maybe the problem was the fact she was holding her. But nope, still no one wanted the pink bear.<p>

"Someone must love you..." she muttered, looking down at Ichiko.

Ichiko's glass eyes almost looked sad.

The door burst open just then, and Aki stampeded into the room with Miho and Hiromi. "Yo, Mrs Matoko! Where's my desk?!"

"Oshiro, do you really expect me to know?" Mrs Matoko deadpanned.

"Harrrrgh, then can I borrow some money?"

"What?!"

Aki stared, eyes wide and shining.

Mrs Matoko sighed and hopped off her desk, reaching into her skirt pocket. "I must have something..."

"Aaaaaaah, stuffed animals~!" came a new, yet familiar, voice.

Tamora stood in the doorway, hands clapped over her cheeks as she gazed around the room in awe. "I heard on the street that there were animals being sold here, but I never expected so many and such cute ones! I want one!"

"T-Tamora?!" gasped Hiromi.

"Who?" Mrs Matoko asked, glancing over at the Shitsuren member. "Is she with the drama department...?"

"Ehhhh?!" Tamora cried, her gaze moving to the girls. "Pretty Cure's here?!" She sighed, sounding very put-upon for a moment. "Fiiiiiiiine, I guess I'll have to get my super-adorable bear later. Work comes first, you know~!" she giggled, pulling a Heartbreak Marker from her sleeve.

Tamora uncapped the marker and swiftly drew a slashed heart symbol in the air. "Fall into heartbreaking despair!" she yelled, and flung her arm out.

The symbol struck Mrs Matoko in the chest, pulsating once and surrounding her in a black aura. The teacher fell to her knees, head tilted back as she began to cry at the top of her lungs, shaking as if she'd break apart. As she fell, Ichiko was knocked from her position from the desk and onto the floor.

"Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world~!" Tamora cheered, holding her arms out.

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

"And as for you, Pretty Cure..." Tamora drew another symbol in the air and flung it at the pile of stuffed animals. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on out, Usotsuki!"

The symbol struck a teddy bear, and quickly enveloped the bear in purple light. The toy instantly grew to an enormous height, the toys around it flying from the sudden force. When the light faded, the bear – now a dark purple in color - stood on its feet, lifting its paws skyward. It tilted its head back, his bright red eyes widening as he roared in fury, revealing a furnace-like glow in its mouth.

The people remaining the room shrieked in terror and ran for the door, leaving the girls, fairies, Tamora, and Mrs Matoko alone with the Usotsuki.

"Girls!" Coffee screamed.

"We got it!" Miho yelled back, holding her hand in front of her face.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"The steadfast love in a maiden's heart, Cure Portia!"**

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!" **

Before anyone could do anything, the Usotsuki roared again and charged forward-

-and crashed through the wall on the other side of the room, running into the hall.

"After it!" Portia cried in a high-pitched voice, as she and the others gave chase.

Tamora glanced over at the woman crying, covering her ears in annoyance. "Phwah...I like heartbreak and despair, but man. Being so close to the crying is so annoying..." She closed her eyes and sighed, then as she opened them again she spotted something on the floor.

Something pink. And fluffy.

"Ehhhh?"

Tamora walked over to Ichiko, picking it up and staring at it. Pink blush tinted her cheeks as she cooed "Uwaaaah, how adorable!" Then her smile faded when she looked back to Mrs Matoko. "Is this bear yours...?"

"Ichiko...I-Ichiko...M-Mommy..." Mrs Matoko hiccuped between her sobs, having apparently gotten lost in memories.

Tamora looked at the bear, biting her lower lip. "Ichiko...?"

* * *

><p>Loud screaming came from the hall as the Usotsuki looked first one way, and then the other, snarling and grunting, looking as if it were trying to decide which direction to go. The people on either side of it ran, screaming, for the stairs on either side of hall. After one more brief moment of indecision, the Usotsuki turned left and charged, following the crowd down the stairs.<p>

The banister buckled and broke beneath the Usotsuki's weight when it slammed against the wall from going too fast, but that didn't deter it at all. It kept running, roaring again as the crowd tried to get away...

And near the landing, Mrs Hisa tripped and was sent sprawling to the floor.

She had no time to get back up. The monster skidded to a halt right there with her.

She screamed and curled into a ball, arms over her head as the Usotsuki stopped and bore down on her. It roared directly over her head, ruffling her hair and clothing, making tiny droplets of sweat appear on her skin from the blazing heat inside it. Mrs Hisa sobbed once before fainting, arms dropping away from her head as she went limp.

_"Hey!"_ came a loud voice.

The Usotsuki turned, snarling, and saw Pretty Cure on the landing behind it. It was Cure Capulet who'd spoken, standing in front of the other two with her hands curled into fists. _"You leave her alone!"_ she shouted again, charging forward and leaping into the air. "Capulet Kick!"

Her high heel drove directly into the Usotsuki's gut as she fell back down, making it take a giant step back – mercifully, _over_ Mrs Hisa.

Montague ran forward, scooping the woman up in her arms and getting her out of the way as Portia leaped up, delivering a swift kick to the Usotsuki's nose.

The Usotsuki stumbled backwards, slamming against the window. The glass broke from its weight, and the monster was sent falling to the ground below. Portia ran to the window, hands grasping the edge as she gasped. The Usotsuki was going to land on the people below! "Everyone, run!" she yelled down.

Montague suddenly ran forward, leaping over Portia's head and out the window. Time seemed to slow for a moment as she sailed through the air, hovering over the falling Usotsuki, her features hidden in shadow. "Let's make it quick! **Sound of the Bells! Sword of the Montague Family! Pretty Cure Majestic Amethyst Shoot!"**

The glowing heart shot the Usotsuki right between the eyes, and the monster let out a quiet mumble as it was enveloped in warm light and disintegrated.

A second later, Montague landed safely on the ground and held her hand out. A brown teddy bear fell directly into her open palm. "Ta-da~"

The world shifted and rippled, and all the damage that'd been done went back to normal. As the festival-goers slowly started coming back towards the building, they began to quietly talk amongst themselves.

"What was that?"

"A special effect gone wrong? Maybe something with the animatronics club?"

"Does this school have that?"

"What _happened...?"_

* * *

><p>Mrs Hisa awoke in the nurse's office, blinking in confusion. "Oh...my, what..." she mumbled, sitting up on the bed provided.<p>

"Oh! Miss, please don't sit up!" the nurse gasped, rushing towards her. "You fainted on the stairs, you shouldn't move just yet."

"Yes...that's right, I fainted, but..." Mrs Hisa frowned, trying to remember what'd happened beforehand. She'd been attending the Culture Fest, of course, her daughter would have wanted it...she'd visited her daughter's classroom...and then a giant teddy bear appeared?

"...it's so ridiculous...yet why does it feel so familiar?" she whispered, a hand going to her head.

* * *

><p>Pretty Cure burst into the classroom, throwing the door open. "Mrs Matoko-!" Montague began, but the words suddenly died in her throat.<p>

Tamora was standing in front of their teacher, smiling and holding Ichiko out for her. "Here," she said.

The symbol was fading from Mrs Matoko's chest, but not gone yet. The teacher sniffed, wiping snot and tears from her face as she looked from Ichiko to Tamora.

Tamora kept smiling gently, tilting her head and moving Ichiko forward. "Go on...Your heartbreak was caused by this, right? I'm sorry, I expected a teacher to be upset over something else...I promise, if I knew how important to you Ichiko was, I would have picked another target. Well, go on, I bet she misses your hugs right now."

Mrs Matoko sniffed once more, then reached out for her bear. She took it, cradled it to her chest and rubbed her face against its furry head. "Ichiko...Mommy..." she whispered, and the mark faded altogether. She pitched forward for a second, as if about to faint, but then her eyes opened and she regained her balance. "Huh?"

Pretty Cure hastily detransformed in a flash of light, and ran for her. "Mrs Matoko!" Aki cried, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you okay?!"

Mrs Matoko just smiled. "Y-yes. Sorry, Miss Oshiro, I must've gotten dizzy from all this...excitement...?" She looked up at Tamora, blinking as if she'd never seen her before. Her gaze flickered from Tamora to the bear in her own arms, and then...

She smiled and held Ichiko out to her. "Would you like her?"

Tamora blinked and pointed to herself. "Eh? Me?"

"Eh? _Her?!"_ echoed the girls.

"You came right up to me, didn't you? That means you're interested in Ichiko here." Mrs Matoko tilted her head, still smiling. "And you think she's cute. I can see it in the way you look at her."

"W-Well, yeah, she is but – you were crying and screaming over – er, I mean, you seem really attached to her!"

"Well, yes...But I can't keep her forever. Ichiko is a friendly, loving bear, and she needs to meet new people and give them love too. To make others as happy and content as she'd made me. And you walked right up to her, over all the other animals here...I think Ichiko wants to go home with you too, Miss."

Everyone stared. Pretty Cure was unable to believe what they were hearing, and so was Tamora. This was a dream, right? It had to be.

Finally, Tamora reached out and took Ichiko back, staring into her eyes. Then she beamed, hugged her to her chest. "I bet she loves tea parties! Thank you~!" she cooed, and she skipped out of the room.

* * *

><p>"She doesn't remember a thing, does she?" Miho muttered around her taiyaki later that day.<p>

Hiromi and Aki, back to work, shook their heads. "Nothing. As the others do," Aki sighed.

"But it's so weird...I didn't think Tamora would accept Ichiko like that," Hiromi said.

"Hey, I didn't expect Mrs Matoko to _give_ it to her!" exclaimed Aki.

Coffee and Ti nodded from where they sat among the stuffed rodents. Of course, having been in the classroom that whole time, they'd seen what had happened after the battle. "But...But Tamora was really sorry, datchu," Ti mumbled. "She looked so _sad_ for a moment, when she saw Ichiko, datchu."

"Wow...imagine that..." Coffee mumbled.

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, Tamora smiled and poured a small cup of tea for the captive Cure. "Sorry it took so long~" she said. "But it took a long time getting this bear!"<p>

Ariel was silent. She'd seen the river from her window, she knew what exactly 'took a long time' meant.

"Hm, but the lady who gave me Ichiko sure was nice..." Tamora's contemplative tone snapped Ariel back to the situation at hand, and she noticed how Tamora was frowning. And the way her hands tightened on the teapot's handle. "Maybe...Maybe..." she began.

Maybe what? What indeed?

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Coffe: "Aaaaaah, _darling~!"_

Hiromi: "D-Darling?"

Coffee: "It's so good to see you again! I missed you so much!"

Aki: "Darling?"

Punch: "Coffee, dear, there's no time for this! I'm here to look into the Cures you found! There's something I need to know!"

Miho: "Seriously, _darling_? Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'A Bit of Punch...Coffee's Fiancé Arrives!' Let love heal your heart!"


	14. Chapter 14

"And remember, summer vacation is the day after tomorrow, so you need to hand in your book reports in tomorrow's class," Mrs Matoko was saying one afternoon. She narrowed her eyes at Yuki. "And that means no turning it in _just_ as the bell is ringing."

"Awww..."

As if on cue, the bell rang for lunch, and Mrs Matoko dismissed the class. Mirai approached Hiromi as the latter was putting away her books. "Hey, Hiromi, stay in the classroom for a little bit, okay?"

"Eh?" Hiromi blinked and looked up, frowning lightly. "Why?"

Mirai's smile was absolutely radiant, her cheeks tinting pink as she giggled. "Because...Because today, I felt that Hiromi would meet a dark, handsome stranger~!"

"Ehhh?"

"I know you've already got someone special, but handsome strangers don't show up every day!"

"Mirai, let's _go_," Antoinette called from where she stood by the door, a hand on her hip.

"A-Ah, coming! Hiromi, I've got to go with Antoinette to play with Usagi-chan, but anyways. Stay here a few minutes, and tell me how it went later! Bye!"

Hiromi lifted her hand as if to call her back, but Mirai was already gone, as was most of the class. Aki approached the desk, looking confused. "Dark stranger?"

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, they were making their way down the stairs – a bit reluctantly. Apparently there'd been a spill on the stairs they normally took just a few minutes ago, so today they had to take the <em>other<em> stairs.

The ones with the mirror.

Hiromi shielded her eyes, but-

"Hiromi, Aki, datchu! Something's in the mirror!" Ti yelped.

And against her better judgement, Hiromi looked.

Aki was already staring wide-eyed in disbelief. "That's...not a ghost, is it?" she murmured.

No, it didn't seem that way. There was a shadowy figure, yes, but it wasn't suddenly materializing. Rather, the figure seemed to be hurtling towards the mirror's surface, as if running through air for a door. Hiromi squinted and adjusted her glasses as they came closer. "But what could..." she began.

She got no further, as suddenly something burst out of the mirror and smacked her in the face.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Hiromi shrieked, flailing and swinging her schoolbag back and forth. _"The ghost is attacking my face! **The ghost is attacking my face!"**_

The thing on her face shifted a bit. "I am no ghost!" it yelled. A second later, Hiromi's vision went back to normal as the thing jumped away from her and landed on the floor.

Aki blinked. "What in the...?"

The thing – a dark purple ferret with tiny narrow glasses – glared up at them, paws on his hips. "I am no ghost!" he repeated. "My name is-"

"Kyaaah~! _Darling~!"_ Coffee yelled, and a second later she'd launched herself out of Hiromi's bag and tackled the ferret around the middle. Both of them fell to the floor, the ferret wheezing as Coffee nuzzled him.

Aki and Hiromi blinked. _"D-Darling?!"_

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: A Bit of Punch...Coffee's Fiancé Arrives!<p>

* * *

><p>Later, they were gathered outside the nearest convenience store, Aki holding a bag of boxed lunches. Miho was with them, having decided to join them for an off-campus lunch. The redhead frowned slightly, sipping her soda. "And he just launched outta the mirror and everything?" she muttered.<p>

Aki chuckled. "Yeah...Hiromi here thought he was gonna eat her face."

"I did not!"

"A-_hem!_" the ferret fairy coughed into his paw, commanding attention. Once all human eyes were on him, he stood as tall as he could, hands on his hips. "My _name,_" he said, "is Punch. I'm a nobleman from the Kingdom of Kokoro, and-"

"Punch. datchu!" Ti poked his head out of Hiromi's bag, smiling brightly. A second later, he threw himself at the ferret, hugging him tight around the stomach. "Punch, you're safe! You're alive, datchu, you're alive!"

Punch blinked, then allowed a tiny smile to appear on his face as he awkwardly patted Ti on the head. "Your Highness, it's good to see you. I'm glad you made it safely-"

"Darling?"

Punch turned red when Coffee spoke up, coughing into his paw again. "And, er, you too, Coffee – er, dear."

"Whooooaaa-kay, time-_out!"_ Miho declared, crossing her arms in an X in front of herself. "Let's get some things cleared up! You," she said, pointing to Punch. "You are a fairy from Kokoro. Ti and Coffee know you. You're apparently also a 'darling-'"

Punch turned redder, though his expression remained stoic.

"But _what's going on?_ How'd ya get here? What're you doing here? Is Kokoro safe now or what?"

"That's what I've been _trying_ to say before I kept getting interrupted!" Punch snapped. He turned a bit red, cleared his throat again, and spoke. _"As I was saying,_ I am Punch, from Kokoro. I am also Coffee's fiance-"

"I knew you were alive!" Coffee interrupted him, much to Aki and Miho's amusement. She began nuzzling Punch as she kept talking. "I knew it! I knew my darling Punch would never let something get him down! I knew he'd survive!"

"Punch! What about Momma and Papa?! Are they okay, datchu?"

_"Would everyone stop interrupting me already?!"_

* * *

><p>The land of Kokoro was dark, and torn. Buildings had collapsed into themselves, walls and ceilings broken and pierced by pieces of the next building over. There wasn't even dust to filter and float about in the air, for there was no one around to unsettle it. Instead, a thick gray coated everything, adding to the eerie stillness of the once-vibrant kingdom.<p>

But, in the castle's grand hall, one figure stood with his back to a large mirror. He stared into the darkness at the hall's other end, his hand clasping something beneath his scarf. Shylock swallowed, his only outward sign of nerves. "Of course," he murmured. _"Of course..."_

He turned towards the mirror again, catching the very last of the ripples on its surface, only his reflection remaining.

"...I know what to do."

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki pose back to back, forming a heart with their arms while Miho feverishly sketches them. Finally she smiles, and turns her sketchpad around – to reveal she's been drawing Coffee and Ti the whole time. Hiromi and Aki gape at her for a second before all three start laughing, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Miho, Hiromi, and Aki hold a large heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left, Aki taking the right, and Miho holding the bottom corner. They pull, and as the cookie comes apart there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the trio are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>"Okay, from the beginning!" Punch declared.<p>

They were walking now, heading back to the school. Aki and Hiromi were eating from their store-bought lunches as they did so, and Hiromi had already taken the two fairies and set them back on her shoulder – with strict instructions to please let Punch speak.

Miho nodded, finishing her drink and tossing it in a nearby trash can. "Fire away."

"Your Highness, you and Coffee fleeing Kokoro was merely the beginning.

"The guards were the ones who alerted Cure Ariel to your location..."

* * *

><p><em>"Cure Ariel! Go to the prince quickly! Protect him!"<em>

_Ariel stood before a group of soldier, their spears raised as they fended off the Usotsuki monsters. Some of them held the spears horizontally or diagonally, to block the creatures off. Others jabbed and slashed at them._

_But all were saying the same thing._

_"The prince and Coffee are all alone, Cure Ariel! Go to them, you're their only hope!"_

_"Soldiers..." Ariel whispered, eyes wide and shimmering._

_**"Go!"** yelled one, a young man with dark purple hair down to his shoulders, and a pair of glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. "We'll hold them off!"_

_Ariel blinked, then a look of resolution appeared on her face as she nodded. "Strong hearts!" she willed them before turning and running off._

_"Strong heart!" they yelled back._

* * *

><p>"We fought as long as we could," Punch sighed. "<em>We<em> fought as long as we could, my men and I. But..."

* * *

><p><em>The human Punch stood in the entryway to the throne room, his chest heaving. The room was destroyed...the thrones knocked to the floor, lying among the tattered shreds of curtains, the shattered stained glass. A few of the torches, always lit to symbolize how the warmth of love could cool, had fallen to the floor and set some of the cloth ablaze.<em>

_The king and queen were nowhere to be found._

_Instead, there were screaming servants and civilians, pleading for help as they were swallowed up by the monsters, or fleeing to safety. Punch ran past them all, heading for the secret room. The one he knew – he just **knew** - Ariel had sent the fairies._

_He came too late._

* * *

><p>"When I got there, His Highness and my fiancee were already gone. That was the good part. But..."<p>

_A raging, seething mass of shadowy creatures piling around and on top of each other, like boiling tar with red eyes. They sank into the floor, vanishing from sight._

_Just before they were gone fully, he could see green-clothed fingertips emerge from the blackness, grasping for something – anything – before being swallowed again._

"After that, there wasn't much left to be done. Many were already gone, the king and queen were missing; the prince and Coffee were en route to Earth, our only Pretty Cure was gone...I took what remaining citizens I could find, and we moved to a safe place. I've been watching over them.

Occasionally, I can make a trip to the mirror to check on you all – only for a brief period of time, however. There are tales of gods who watch the earth through mirrors, but I've only been able to see bits and pieces.

"You fight well, but it is not enough...To defeat Shitsuren, you would need Cure Ariel, and she...

"Cure Ariel is, I believe, not dead. That wasn't what the monsters did." Punch had been looking away during the more painful parts of the story, but now he looked into the girls' eyes. "I saw some of the soldiers get submerged by those things. They screamed, but they didn't die – the Usotsuki that took them went underground, as if they were going somewhere instead.

"I believe it's the same for Cure Ariel."

Ti's eyes were shining with unshed tears. "She's alive, datchu..." he whispered. His voice began to break, tears spilling down his cheeks. "She's...alive..." He broke down into soft sobs, allowing Miho to pat his back.

"So the next thing we should do is get her out," Aki suddenly declared.

"It would be dangerous but-"

"Cure Ariel...she's a girl like us," Hiromi mumbled, a lightly-curled fist against her chest. The group stopped walking as they stood outside of the school gates. "She's been gone all this time, trapped somewhere...Probably alone, and scared...Aki's right, we've got to go after her."

"Four Pretty Cure are better than one any day of the week anyhow!" Miho grinned. "So we're all in agreement?"

The other two girls nodded. Coffee beamed, and Ti managed to smile through his tears. "You're gonna get Cure Ariel back, datchu?!"

The girls nodded in unison. "Count on it!" said Miho.

Punch's eyes grew a bit shinier for a second, but then he looked away and pointedly coughed into his paw. "Well! Ahem...spoken like true Pretty Cure."

_"HYAAAAAH!"_

The girls jumped in alarm, and looked beyond the school gates. Students were fleeing in all directions, away from a-

"USOOOO!" the monster roared, snapping its vines like whips through the air.

It appeared to be made from a dandelion, and was rooted in one spot. The once-yellow petals were now pitch-black, the stem purple, and instead of leaves it had two long vines protruding from itself. Its eyes and mouth were on the large, thicker part where flower and stem met, in the same hateful expression the other Usotsuki had. "USOOO!"

Punch paled. "Shitsuren..." he whispered. "They might have found me, and – Eh?"

Miho set him, Coffee, and Ti down on the ground, behind the wall. "Stay here, and stay hidden," she said.

"We'll handle this!" Aki and Hiromi said at once.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"The steadfast love in a maiden's heart, Cure Portia!"**

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"**

Coffee smiled as she looked at Punch, a paw resting on his arm. "Aren't they amazing, darling?"

"They're Pretty Cure, my dear. All Cures are amazing."

The trio ran into the schoolyard, heading straight for the Usotsuki. However, as they ran, Montague spotted something from her peripheral vision. She looked up...

...and locked eyes with Shylock, who stood by the window inside the school.

Montague gasped. "It's him!" she said. "You two take care of the Usotsuki! I'm gonna keep him away from the teachers or students!"

"Right!" the other two shouted as their paths separated.

Montague ran for the building, putting all her power into her legs as she leaped off the ground, sailing through one of the open windows. Once inside, she ran up the stairs to the floor where she'd seen Shylock. _If I'm right, then he must be-!_

She skidded to a halt as she turned the corner, staring at Shylock as he stood next to the mirror.

"You have good vision," he said, and had the decency to actually sound impressed.

"Comes in handy," Montague said with a shrug, and swiftly summoned her Rapier Wand. "I'm not letting you hurt anyone in here!"

"Really?" Shylock drew his own rapier, a pitch-black one with a red heart stamped on the pommel. "That's not why I'm here, per se...but let me see something."

As the Usotsuki roared outside, so did Shylock, drawing a black rapier as he surged down the stairs.

Montague drew out her Rapier Wand and parried Shylock's attack. He was not deterred, however, and swung his rapier away before coming at another angle. Montague kept parrying, swinging, but Shylock kept stepping forward, forcing her to move back if she were to keep defending herself. Her teeth were grit, beads of sweat already gathered at her temples – she had to find an opening, but how?!

Meanwhile, Capulet and Portia split up as the Usotsuki shot a vine at them, missing as it went straight down the middle. The Cures increased their speed before leaping into the air.

"Capulet Kick!"

"Portia Stomp!"

Capulet's heel drove into the Usotsuki's head, right onto the iris; while the flat of Portia's foot landed between its glowing red eyes.

Victory was short-lived though, as the Usotsuki snapped its vines up, grabbing Portia and Capulet before they could even fall back to earth, and then _threw_ them back to earth. "U-SOOOO!"

The ground shook from the force of the Cures hitting the ground, craters appearing around them as they moved to get back up. The Usotsuki was too quick, however, and snapped its vines on them again, sending them back to the concrete.

An action that Montague spotted from the corner of her eye.

"Capulet! Portia!" Montague yelled, taking her eyes off Shylock and towards the window for just one second.

That was all he needed, as he drew his arm back and thrust his rapier forward at great speed.

Montague _just_ managed to notice, crying out in surprise as she dodged to the side. The tip of the rapier pierced her puffed sleeve, tearing straight through and exposing her shoulder. Montague's eyes were wide as, almost in slow-motion, she saw the fabric rippling through the air. _That could have killed me!_ she thought, a slow-creeping horror dawning on her. _He could have **killed** me!_

And, still in slow-motion, Shylock's stoic gaze faltered a bit, and moved from straight ahead to directly into Montague's eyes. He mouthed something – Montague blinked – and then the world went back to normal speed again. Shylock swung his rapier at Montague again-

-and there was a resounding _CLANG_ as she blocked it, her mouth in a thin, firm line as she glared resolutely at him. "I'll defeat you," she promised. "I will! And we'll save Cure Ariel!"

Something flickered in Shylock's eyes before he grinned and put his weight against his weapon, intending to shove Montague off-balance. "Why don't you prove it, then?" he said simply before shoving again, making Montague stumble down a few stairs.

* * *

><p>Outside, the Usotsuki had its vines pressed down on Capulet and Portia, as if it wanted to squish them like ants. The Cures tried to push themselves up, their knuckles turning red as they strained against the shattered ground.<p>

"I've...had..._enough of this!"_ Portia yelled at least, drops of sweat beading on her forehead. She grit her teeth, straining against the Usotsuki even harder. "You can...try to hold us down all you want.."

In the crater beside her, Capulet was also pushing. And just like Portia, she was slowly rising to her hands and knees. "You can...try to defeat us..."

"But Pretty Cure-"

"-Are unbeatable!"

With a loud cry, the girls flung themselves out to the sides, rolling on the ground as they escaped their confines. They both tucked in, and then leaped to their feet and charged at the Usotsuki again.

"USO?!" it cried in shock.

"Pretty Cure are unbeatable!" Capulet repeated, punching away a vine as it lashed towards her. "You can never keep a Pretty Cure down!"

"No matter how strong you think your prison is, we'll always escape! Because we've got something worth fighting for!" Portia yelled, jumping over a vine as it attempted to catch her round the ankles. In one fluid motion, she drove her heel down onto it just as it was below her, making the monster screech in pain.

"And we'll always have each others backs!" Capulet said as the two girls rejoined and ran side-by-side. As if to illustrate this, she summoned her Rapier Wand and slapped away the vine aiming for Portia. And in turn, Portia jumped over Capulet's head to kick away a vine aimed for the blonde.

"We'll definitely..."

* * *

><p>"Save Cure Ariel!" Montague yelled, thrusting her Rapier Wand forward and towards Shylock's neck.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>"Sound of the Bells! Sword of Capulet Family! Pretty Cure Glorious Golden Shoot!"<strong>

The Usotsuki let out a gurgling groan as the glowing heart struck it, disintegrating it from the inside-out.

Capulet landed beside Cure Portia, and the two girls high-fived one another as they grinned triumphantly at the harmless dandelion weed growing from a crack in the schoolyard.

* * *

><p>Montague panted lightly as she stared up at Shylock's face. He gazed back, expressionless.<p>

The Rapier Wand hadn't pierced his neck, or any part of his body. Instead, it pinned his scarf to the mirror behind him, a web of neat cracks appearing around its tip. His scarf was torn much like Montague's sleeve was, revealing a glint of something underneath it.

"We'll save Cure Ariel," Montague repeated, in a much calmer tone than before. "We'll definitely save her!"

"Montague!"

Five different voices called her name; the fairies had reunited with Capulet and Portia, and all five of them were running up the stairs to meet herself and Shylock.

Punch held out one paw to keep the other two fairies from getting any closer, his eyes going wide in recognition. "You-! You're the one who-"

Shylock just smiled.

Suddenly, ripples appeared around his body, against the mirror's surface, as if it were water. Without another word, he took a step back, and was gone.

* * *

><p>A little later, the three Cures stood before the mirror, gazing at their reflections. At least, that was how it looked; really, they seemed to be looking beyond that. Trying to see into the mirror's depths itself.<p>

Capulet reached out and touched it. "It's just glass," she mumbled. "But...But Punch and Shylock both came through it."

Ti nodded. "And and and!" he cried. "Coffee and me found ourselves in this building when we left Kokoro, datchu! This mirror's not haunted, it's a door, datchu!"

"His Highness is right," Punch said with a nod. "This mirror serves as a door between your world and Kokoro."

"So there isn't something _supernatural_ about it, just fantastical!" Montague gasped, smacking her fist into an open palm.

"Okay, we're getting off-subject again," Portia muttered, making an X with her arms for the second time that day. Her expression became serious as she turned to face the others. "We now know there's a missing Cure. She needs our help. Shylock left this world through this mirror. If we pass through as well, we can get to Kokoro, and find where she's being held."

"So let's do it! Right now!" Montague yelled.

"Montague, please," Capulet whispered. "I think...maybe we should wait a day."

"What?!" the others gasped.

"Look at us. We _just_ finished a battle – and Montague's shoulder is hurt," she added, pointing to the stain of red just under the tear in Montague's sleeve. "On top of that, tomorrow, people will still be in the school. What if we're too slow and we end up coming out while there's a ton of people around? I mean, yeah, _we_ don't like using these stairs, but there's always going to be one or two thrill-seekers, and the teachers don't believe the stories about the mirror. Someone would see us come out, and we could potentially endanger others. I can't do that!"

Coffee frowned, and nodded. "I see Capulet's point..." she admitted.

"Tomorrow is the last day before summer break. Everyone would have already gone home except for a few custodians and teachers – that's a lot fewer people to deal with, and we can be let out if need be," Capulet finished.

There was a long pause. Finally, Montague sighed. "I guess you're right about that."

"I'll get a visitor's pass and claim I'm here to drop something off for you," Portia said. "That'll get me into the school to meet you guys."

Ti nodded. "And we can do this when Hiromi and Aki get out of school, datchu!"

Punch smiled. "Strategizing...just like a warrior would." His shoulders slumped a bit as he looked down at the floor. "I'm afraid I can't help you, though. I have to return to Kokoro and look after the citizens we have left. I shouldn't have been here as long as I was, besides."

"Ohhh...darling!" Coffee wailed, throwing herself at Punch and hugging him tightly. "Keep our kingdom safe, please! Keep _yourself_ safe! If something happens to either, I won't forgive you!"

"I know," Punch murmured. He patted Coffee's shoulder, kissed the spot between her ears before he gently pulled away. Stepping back towards the mirror, he looked round the group. All of them, even the young prince Ti, had resolute smiles on their faces. He felt himself relax; he could count on these girls. "Pretty Cure...

"Thank you...and tomorrow, remember: all you have to do is imagine water."

And he stepped through the mirror and disappeared, leaving only ripples on its surface that quickly faded away.

In a flash of light, the girls detransformed and exchanged glances, conveying all they needed in one look: hope, strength, determination.

This was going to work. They were _sure_ of it.

Aki knew so especially. This was what Shylock wanted to.

_And, still in slow-motion, Shylock's stoic gaze faltered a bit, and moved from straight ahead to directly into Montague's eyes. He mouthed something._

_"Do what you must. Free Cure Ariel."_

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Aki: "Okay, everyone, are we ready to do this?"

Miho: "Absolutely!

Hiromi: "Y-You betcha! A-Ah, M-Mrs Hisa?!"

Mrs Hisa: "You girls be careful alone...I saw Noa get taken away by something dark and shadowy..."

Hiromi: "Dark and shadowy...It couldn't be, right?! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'The Missing Classmate...Our Fourth Member?!' Let love heal your heart!"


	15. Chapter 15

Miho set a plate of hamburger steak in the fridge, plastic film wrapped over it and adorned with a sticky note. _For Nana. Eat up!_ She stood back and glanced at the clock on the wall. Her small smile faltered a bit. "Welp, time to go..."

She threw on her sweater, stepped into her shoes, and was about to go out the door when something sharply tugged her back. "Eh?" she gasped, looking over her shoulder.

Pochi stood there, a bit of sweater in his mouth, ears and tail lowered. He whined pathetically, staring at her with wide eyes as he tugged on her sweater again, taking a step back into the house.

Miho stood for a moment, staring, before her expression softened. "Pochi..." She turned to face him and crouched down, scratching him between the ears. "Pochi, are you worried for me?"

He whined again.

"You shouldn't!" She smiled brightly, tugging her sweater out of his mouth. "I'm strong, Pochi, all three of us are! You know that!" But then, he also knew what Shitsuren was like, and what their home was like, didn't he? After all, he'd come from that place. Miho shook her head to clear those negative thoughts, and gave Pochi an extra-good scratch. "I'll be home before tomorrow...and then you and I can go on a long walk together, and I'll buy you a steak from the grocery store. 'kay?" Without waiting for an answer, she stood up and opened the door. "Take care of Nana today. Make sure she sees her food."

Pochi just watched as the door closed again, shutting Miho from his view. He began whimpering pathetically, scratching a little at the door before giving up and curling into a ball.

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"Ah, Miss Sakura, right?"<p>

"Huh?" Miho turned around, blinking in surprise at the familiar figure. "Mrs Hisa!"

The woman stood at a phone pole, stapling up a new flier. "The ink was fading on the old ones," she explained when she noticed Miho glance at it. "Are you going off somewhere?"

"Ah – yeah..."

"Well, be careful if you're on your own, okay?" Mrs Hisa stapled a second flier above the first. "Noa disappeared when she was by herself."

Miho looked sheepish, kicking the ground a bit. "Mrs Hisa, I appreciate the concern but-"

"And...and there was the incident at the Culture Fest."

Miho froze, staring at the woman.

She didn't seem to notice, staring ahead and frowning as if trying to recall something. "There was that giant, dark bear, remember? It's...it's the oddest thing, but I swear I remember something like it when Noa disappeared."

Miho gasped faintly. Wait...could that possibly mean-?

* * *

><p>Aki and Hiromi stood in front of the mirror as they waited for Miho. Hiromi was idly petting Coffee and Ti, who sat on her shoulders anxiously. "Did you tell your family you'd be late?" she asked Aki.<p>

Aki shook her head. "Nah."

Hiromi blinked and shot her head back up to look at Aki, her eyes wide. "You didn't?!" she squeaked.

"Did you?"

"Well...well, yeah...but I told them I'd be studying at a friend's. And then I prepared a pot of tea for them." Hiromi's gaze softened, and she looked back down at her shoes. "My sisters would have appreciated it...and I didn't want to leave for some other, dangerous world without doing something nice for them. You know...in case I didn't come back."

"Hiromi." Aki rested a hand on her shoulder, smiling softly. "We're comin' back. That's why I didn't say anything to Emma and Sebastian, or Granny. Why I didn't do anything special for them. Because I'm gonna come back at the end of the day, so why worry?"

"That's right, datchu!"

Hiromi managed a small smile. "I-"

"Aki! Hiromi!"

Miho stood at the bottom of the stairs, grinning up at them. She quickly climbed the stairs, til they all stood in a row before the mirror. "You guys ready?"

Hiromi sighed. "As I'll ever be..."

"You bet!"

Ti and Coffee nodded, cheering "Yeah! (Datchu!)"

"Okay..." All five faced their reflections – Miho reached out to either side of her and grabbed Aki and Hiromi's hands. "Remember what Punch said...Think of water."

Water...the glass was water...

The girls walked forward, and didn't stop even when their shoes should have kicked the glass. They continued walking...and passed straight into the mirror, leaving only silvery ripples behind.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: The Missing Classmate...Our Fourth Member?!<p>

* * *

><p>Lightning flashed above Heartbreak Manor. Normally this wasn't a big deal; after all, black lightning flashed and danced above the River Despair every time it was added to.<p>

But this was normal, regular and honestly kinda-boring lightning.

Almost like an omen, maybe.

Tamora sighed heavily, staring out the window with her chin in her hands. She, Lady, and Riche sat in the parlor, the tea party having just finished; Lady putting away the tea set. "Shylock missed tea, again..." she sighed again, slowly kicking her feet behind herself.

"I was informed that he had a plan for Pretty Cure," Riche said. "He is probably doing _that."_

Another loud, heaving sigh. "But tea is important too...And he doesn't spend time with us anymore! It's no faaaaiiir..."

Lady smiled faintly. "Tamora, dear, our mission is of most importance. I don't mind if someone misses the occasional teatime, so long as they're working on exterminating Pretty Cure. Don't you?"

Tamora huffed. "Not really."

Lightning flashed again, lighting up the darkest corners of the room.

* * *

><p>"It's dark in here, datchu!"<p>

"It's okay, Ti. Just stay on my shoulder."

"Hiromi, is Miho still holding your other hand?"

"I'm right here, and yeah, I am."

"It looked nothing like this when Ti and I went through the first time..."

The quintet were hurtling forward through a void of shifting black and purple, shadows whirling all around them. It was difficult to see anything, the girls having to squeeze each others' hands to make doubly-sure they were all still there. Whenever they tried to look in any direction, all they could see was just...those two colors. Constantly shifting and churning around each other, darkness buzzing about like a swarm.

"It was bright when we left," Coffee whispered, hugging Ti tightly on Hiromi's shoulder. "Just as bright as the castle was when-"

"Hey! Up there!" Aki suddenly yelled.

Up ahead, there was a tiny pinprick of light. It was dim, but as they watched, it suddenly flashed brighter, and they could faintly hear a low rumbling.

"Thunder. Lightning," Miho muttered, eyes narrowed. "Let's go!"

"Right!"

They suddenly sped up, seemingly by their own willpower. The light grew larger, closer...

...until they all burst out of a mirror and into a dark hallway, landing in a painful pile on the floor. Capulet stuck her hand out as Ti and Coffee landed in her palm, keeping them from getting a stray elbow or knee to the...everything.

"Owwww ow ow!"

"My knee!"

"Portia, you're on my hair!"

"Quiet!" Coffee whispered.

Pretty Cure tensed up, holding their breaths as they listened for something – anything at all. Coffee held Ti against her side, one paw over her own mouth, ears twitching as she waited. Seconds ticked by, nothing happening. Finally, everyone sighed quietly and began to untangle themselves, rising to their feet.

Then they were able to properly look around.

"Is this...?" Capulet began.

"Where Shitsuren lives," Montague finished, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

They all stood at the very end of the hallway; from where they stood they could see that the manor was beautiful and grand, in its own way. The carpets were a dark red with a black tint, almost like blood. The wallpaper was a brighter red, and black, a repeating lace pattern – a surprising image, considering who lived here. There were large, tall windows every five feet along one of the walls, showing that this particular hall was against the side of the manor.

Capulet tentatively stepped to one of the windows and peered out. Her eyes widened and she gasped faintly at the sight before her. "Everyone!" she whispered.

As the others joined her, they saw that they were in a very large home, and at one of the top floors at that. The land outside was barren, nothing but flat rock and cliffside. The skies above were dark and stormy, black clouds churning thickly above. A tiny sliver of moonlight was all that was permitted to appear, the only light the Cures were offered in this place.

As they watched, lightning flashed, illuminating the hall for a moment. And as they looked around, they noticed in that one second, the walls were also covered in large, deep scratches, the wallpaper nearest the floor torn to shreds. The carpets along the baseboard were shredded as well: loose pieces torn up, fuzzy pieces strewn all over, whole chunks of the baseboards embedded in the carpet itself. There was no blood, not even stains, but perhaps that in itself was frightening.

If there was no blood, then it meant either whoever had caused such horrid destruction hadn't wanted to actually harm a living person...Or there hadn't been anything _left_ to bleed.

Portia covered her mouth and drew closer to the other two. "What could have caused _that?_" she whispered. "None of Shitsuren have nails that can do that!"

Montague set her jaw. "I think we should keep from being seen," she whispered. "Everyone, move, and try to stay quiet...Once we find Cure Ariel, we're leaving."

* * *

><p>The unspoken rules were simple as the quintet moved quietly from one hall to the next.<p>

Avoid being seen.

Be very quiet.

If you see Shitsuren, make sure they don't see you – they're at the advantage, this is their home, not yours. If you see them, just get away quietly.

They figured those should be easy rules to follow – after all, this place was _huge_. Which, of course, made finding Cure Ariel difficult, but at least it left little chance of being seen, right?

After roughly twenty minutes of walking, they had neither been seen, nor seen where Cure Ariel might be. But there was still a lot of manor left to explore; Capulet opened an unlocked door and peered around inside. Luckily for them all, the hinges were well-oiled, and the doors opened completely silently.

"Nothing in here," she whispered, squinting into the room. "It's a lady's bedroom, but there's no girl here."

"Is someone in bed?" Portia asked.

"Eh?"

"Well, I was just wondering," she explained, arms over her chest. "I mean, we haven't seen anyone yet, I was starting to hope they were all asleep."

"We only left in the afternoon," Montague said.

"This is another world, Montague. And these people aren't quite human. For all we know, time moves differently here and they're nocturnal."

"Hm, you've got a point there..."

Capulet sighed and shut the door. Or rather, she began to.

She suddenly tensed, hearing something other than her friends' whispers. "Girls," she whispered. "Do you hear that?"

They all fell silent, watching as Capulet edged into the room.

It was a lovely room, though just as dark as the rest of the manor. A large four-poster bed was pushed against the wall opposite the door, the deep violet curtains pushed aside and the matching bedspread immaculately made-up. There was an ornate nightstand beside it, with an elegant-looking black key atop it. Against another wall was a large cabinet with a glass door, revealing the interior to be filled with various tea sets, dozens of tins of what she assumed to be tea leaves, fragrant boxes...

And in the corner was a door that Capulet assumed to be a closet. But the door gave way a little, the wood straining and creaking against the pressure of _something_. And whatever that something was, it was also clawing at the door, growling and snarling.

Capulet reached for the knob. She was halfway-there where there was a loud sound between a howl and a shriek on the other side. She, and the other four, jumped in alarm, her hands flying up to her throat.

"Hiromi, get away from there, datchu!" Ti cried as a loud _WHUMP_ sounded against the door, making the frame creak and tremble again.

Capulet turned and ran for the others, and they took off down the hall without pausing to close their door again.

* * *

><p>"Wh-what was that?!" Portia asked at last, once they were far enough away from that room.<p>

"I don't wanna know!" Coffee said, trembling faintly.

"Either way," Montague began. "I think we should stay away-"

Capulet suddenly gasped and pulled Montague's shoulder, yanking her backwards just as she was about to turn a corner. When Montague eyed her in confusion, Capulet held a finger to her lips.

They listened.

Sure enough, there was the faint sound of humming, and they heard Tamora bounding down the hallway, straight towards their location. They turned and ran the other direction, turning the first corner they saw and waiting, hiding. Holding their breath.

Soon enough, Tamora's voice slowly faded into the distance, and everyone found they could breathe easier.

"Sheesh, we ran from _Tamora..._ muttered Portia, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Of all people!"

"The scratches, though," whispered Coffee. "Maybe she was the one who made them. We _did_ see her throw exploding cards when we fled Kokoro."

"Explosions don't leave long gashes in _wood!"_ Capulet whispered harshly.

"Pretty Cure, datchu..." Ti whispered tearfully.

That was enough to make everyone stop whispering. They sighed, leaning against the wall. "Shall we keep going this way, then?" Montague asked.

"Might as well," Portia answered, and they set off again, keeping their eyes and ears open.

* * *

><p>Riche sighed and set down his teacup. "Tamora?"<p>

Tamora, who had just entered the room, paused mid-skip and turned to look at him. "Yeah-yeah?"

"Have you seen Lady? Or Shylock?"

"Hmm...well, Shylock hasn't come back at all, still," Tamora muttered, arms folded as she pursed her lips. "And Lady said she was going to clean and put away the tea set. But that was the last I saw her." She suddenly blinked and tilted her head. "Why?"

"Hm...No real reason." Riche began to drum his fingertips against the arm of his chair. "I just have this oddest feeling of trepidation."

* * *

><p>The door to that bedroom was still open.<p>

Someone slipped in, paused by the door before making their way to the nightstand and taking the key.

They went to the locked door, gently slipping the key into the lock. When the faint _click_ was heard, they tensed up, waiting...preparing themselves...

They flung the door open, keeping themselves behind it and hidden, protected.

_"SKREEEEEE!"_

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki pose back to back, forming a heart with their arms while Miho feverishly sketches them. Finally she smiles, and turns her sketchpad around – to reveal she's been drawing Coffee and Ti the whole time. Hiromi and Aki gape at her for a second before all three start laughing, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Miho, Hiromi, and Aki hold a large heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left, Aki taking the right, and Miho holding the bottom corner. They pull, and as the cookie comes apart there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the trio are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>"Hey...you guys?" Portia said.<p>

"Yeah?" Montague looked back at the redhead, brows lifted in interest.

"I've been thinking...about Cure Ariel. You think she might be Noa?"

That made them all stop, blinking at her in surprise. "Noa Hisa?" Capulet said. "Our schoolmate?"

"Well, it makes sense, right?" Portia said. She frowned slightly, bringing a fingertip to her lips as she stared down. "Noa's been missing for a while...Cure Ariel has too. And I met Mrs Hisa on my way to the school." Her gaze lifted, expression serious. "She saw what took Noa – at least, she saw the end of it. She said it was something dark, and she said the Usotsuki at the culture fest seemed familiar. It all adds up! An Usotsuki took Noa, and Noa is Cure Ariel!"

"H-hey, don't be so hasty!" Coffee said. "Not that I don't think that makes sense, but the last place we saw Ariel was in Kokoro. I don't think Mrs Hisa is from there – Noa is a girl missing from _your_ town."

"What if she managed to escape?" Portia shot back. "What if she escaped Shitsuren first and came to Earth to find you? Or save her mother? And then she was taken? Just...just what if?!"

The others fell silent, thinking it over.

"It...would add up," Capulet admitted.

"I didn't see Cure Ariel outside of her Cure form," Coffee said. "Did you, Ti?"

"No, datchu."

"So there's still a possibility..." Montague muttered. "Okay, so when we get her out...first thing we do is bring her to her mom."

The others nodded, small smiles appearing on their faces – and quickly froze.

Thunder had begun to rumble above, but that wasn't what caught their attention. There was this odd rushing sound, rushing and thumping, screaming, tearing...They could feel heavy vibrations in the floor, getting stronger and stronger...

Montague held an arm out protectively, shielding Capulet and Portia as she took a few steps back the way they came, squinting into the darkness. The noises, which were getting louder, were coming from that direction, she could see that much...

And then, ahead, she could barely make out dozens and dozens of red pinpricks. Then glowing red gashes, stretching and expanding like many mouths.

Her eyes went wide. _"Run,"_ she whispered, stumbling backwards. She turned and began to sprint, stumbling in her first few steps but saving herself in time to grab the other Cures' hands and drag them along. _"Run!"_

They knew what had caused those gashes in the wood.

* * *

><p>Ariel had been fast asleep when she heard the screaming. Gasping, she shot up in the bed, wide eyes fixed on her door. That sound- She knew that sound, that was the same sound she'd heard during the invasion, when-<p>

"Shylock!" she screamed, throwing back her bedcovers and running to the door. She flung herself against the wood, pounding on it with her fists. Suddenly she cried out as red flame-like aura appeared where her body made contact with the door. She pulled back and held her hands, the aura burning them.

But that only lasted a moment, she she drew in a breath and tried again, pounding and kicking at the door. "Shylock! What's happening?! Open the door, let me out, let me help you!"

* * *

><p>In the parlor, Riche and Tamora stood together as they stared down a group of Usotsuki that had branched off from the others.<p>

"Who let you out?!" Riche demanded. "I thought you were locked up tight!"

"Riche, Lady and Shylock are still missing!" Tamora cried, pressing herself tighter against him. "They might be in trouble!"

"I know that!" Riche snarled, gently pushing Tamora away from him. "Get your cards!" He clapped his hands together, then swiftly drew them apart. A long whip rapidly uncoiled between them, with a pitch-black handle and the rest glowing an angry red. It floated up before his face, and he snatched it up by the handle and snapped it forward.

The whip lashed out, a satisfying _crack_ sounding through the air as it sliced a lion-like Usotsuki in half mid-lunge.

* * *

><p><strong>"Sound of the Bells! Chest of Revelation! Pretty Cure Bronze Truth Shoot!"<strong>

The glowing heart shot towards the bird Usotsuki diving towards them, making it rapidly disintegrate from within. Portia ran backwards, her Chest of Revelation still in her hands as she let out a victory laugh. "Ha! Mess with Pretty Cure!"

"Portia!" Capulet yelled over her shoulder. "How far away are they?"

"I think we might be losing them! **Bronze Truth Shoot!"** a few more blasts took out the Usotsuki that were breaking away and moving closer. "Just keep running."

They weren't exactly sure where they were now. They'd been running blind this whole time, blasting attack behind themselves every now and then, quiet be damned! They had to save themselves!

"Who made all these?!" Capulet cried.

"I wanna go hoooome, datchu!" Ti wailed.

Montague gasped. "H-Hey, guys-!"

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"I think I just heard-" She gasped, her eyes going wide. They were approaching a fork in the hall, and-

_Thump-thump!_

"Over here! Hurry!" she yelled.

The others followed her, hearts pounding. Was this-?

As they drew closer, they heard what Montague had just moments ago. Beneath the din of thunder, the roaring of the rampaging Usotsuki, were a series of loud thumps and faint, pained grunts. "What's going on out there?!" yelled a feminine voice on the other side. "What's happening?! _Let me out!"_

Ti gasped. "I know that voice, datchu!"

"Cure Ariel?" Montague called as they reached the door. "Is that you?"

The thumping stopped, and they heard someone on the other side gasp. "Who is this?"

"I was right, datchu! Cure Ariel, it's me! It's Ti and Coffee and we brought three Pretty Cure to save you, datchu!"

"Ti...? Ti, Coffee, you made it, you're ali- Ahn!" The pained yelp on the other side did nothing to diminish the relief in Ariel's tone.

"Ariel? What's wrong?!" Coffee cried.

"It's this door – I can't touch it in this form – it's burning my hands," she explained, sounding apologetic.

Capulet suddenly frowned. She lifted her hands up to her shoulder, picking up Ti and Coffee, and holding them to Portia. _"Stand back, everyone..."_ she said simply.

**"Sound of the Bells! Sword of Capulet Family! Pretty Cure Glorious Golden Shoot!" **

At that last word, the familiar glowing heart shot out towards the door-

-and it exploded into splinters and chunks of wood.

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the manor, Riche whirled around. "Tamora!"<p>

A few playing cards embedded themselves in several Usotsuki – the monsters shrieked in agony as the cards exploded and took them out with them, bursting apart into pieces of shadow that swiftly faded. Tamora stood where they once did, her arm still at her side in her post-throwing pose. "Yes, Riche!" she responded, her tone alert and all-business.

"Check the prisoner!"

"Right!" Tamora threw one more card over Riche's shoulder, destroying the Usotsuki that was about to pounce upon him. Then she turned and ran down the hall, looking for Ariel's room on the far side of the manor.

"Lady, my darling, where _are_ you?" Riche growled in concern and frustration as he snapped his whip at another Usotsuki.

* * *

><p>The girl who was Cure Ariel had her arms lifted to protect her face, her eyes squeezed shut. She lowered them, blinking at the sight of the huge hole before her. And the people who stood just on the other side.<p>

She smiled, shoulders slumping in relief. "I'm so glad to-"

_"Skreeeee!"_

The girl tensed, and seized Capulet's hand as she ran out of her room. "Everyone, quick! We've got to fight them off-"

"Not now we're not!" Montague shot back.

"We came here to find you!" Portia yelled.

"Yes, but-"

_"SKREEEEEE!"_

"Cure Ariel! Where's the Cure Signet?" Coffee cried over the noise of the Usotsuki swarming towards their side of the manor.

"I don't know!" she cried with a shake of her head. The manor began to shake from the force of the monsters heading their way, faster and more restless. "It was taken from me when—"

_"Pretty Cure, datchu!"_ Ti shrieked.

Usotsuki swerved around the corner, piling up on each other briefly, scrambling over each other in their attempts to untangle themselves and attack the girls.

There was no time. Portia grabbed their new ally's hand as they all turned and fled down the hall away from the Usotsuki, spotting another mirror. "Through there!" she yelled.

"Yes!"

"Hold me tight, Ariel!" Portia screamed as they all put on an extra burst of speed-

-and splashed through the mirror, out of sight.

A second later, the pursuing Usotsuki slammed against the wall the mirror stood on, shrieking and roaring in rage.

Another second, and they all exploded into smaller shadows, leaving nothing by the remnants of a few playing cards. Tamora stood at the end of the hall, glaring at the space they once occupied. After a moment, she looked towards Ariel's now-shattered door. "...Damn."

* * *

><p>Inside the royal palace of Kokoro, a single mirror stood. It had a large crack running down its center, splintering off to the sides and corners, ready to shatter at the slightest disturbance. It was the only bright surface in the desecrated great hall.<p>

Suddenly, silvery ripples passed over its surface, and four girls burst through, gasping in relief.

Capulet dropped to her hands and knees, shoulders shaking. "W-We...made it..." she gasped.

Montague knelt down, gently rubbing her shoulder. "You okay, Cappy?"

"Y-Yeah..."

Portia relaxed her hold on the fourth girl's hand, sighing in relief. "I thought it was over...I'm sorry, Ariel, but we couldn't fight just yet-"

"That's right, datchu!" Ti cried from his perch on Montague's shoulder. "Ariel needs her Cure Signet, we can't leave her powerless forever, datchu!"

"Once things die down, we'll go back and look, uhm...Noa?" Miho ventured, looking up at the girl's face.

It was dark inside the palace, but brighter than it'd been in Heartbreak Manor. So this time, they could all actually see what she looked like.

She had cerise hair that went a little past her shoulder-blades, the front section of her bangs hung over her forehead while the sides were gathered into crown braids, leaving the rest of her hair to hang down her back. Her eyes were magenta, and she wore a white and mint-green dress with simple white shoes. Her gold, heart-shaped earrings glimmered in the moonlight when she turned her head.

"Sorry...I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" The girl inclined her head a bit, resting a hand on her chest.

"My name is Otome," she said. "Otome Aimiya, of Kokoro."

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "We've got to find that Cure Signet! But we can't go back to that place, can we?"

Miho: "On top of that, we need to heal those wounds!"

Otome: "Listen, guys...I think I need to come clean. There's something I want you to know..."

Aki: "About your Cure Signet or...Sh-Shylock?! What's he want?!"

Miho: "Ehhhhh?! You wanna _help?!"_

Otome: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'A Pretty Cure's Heart, Shylock's Heart.' Let love heal your heart!"


	16. Chapter 16

OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo

* * *

><p>The group had managed to find the medical ward of the castle, following Ti's directions. They now sat on the floor in a patch of light cast by the setting sun, applying an ointment to Otome's burns. The burns themselves were not too serious, luckily for her, but she would need to be careful with them for a while. Bandages didn't seem to be necessary either, but that was alright because the gauze bandages they <em>did<em> find were on the floor and unusable.

"My name is Otome Aimiya," the girl repeated as Capulet finished up with her hands. "I'm a citizen of Kokoro, and Cure Ariel."

"We've never seen you like this, Cure Ariel!" Coffee said. "I wasn't sure if you even had another form!"

Otome chuckled. "I received my Cure form three years ago, in a private ceremony." She briefly recalled being thirteen, clad in white and pale green, standing in a small room with stained glass windows high above them, casting spotlights of pink, green, blue, and gold onto her. Before her had stood Kokoro's king and queen. They'd smiled at her, and she'd held out her hand for the Cure Signet to be slipped onto her finger as she smiled back.

_"The ring does not represent romantic love," the queen said, gently placing her hand over the young Otome's. "A Cure of Love fights for, and holds dearly, love in all its forms. For family, friends, romance, for all the world and all its creatures."_

_"Your heart holds so much love, Otome," the king added. "Never stop loving others."_

_Young Otome smiled and nodded, becoming Cure Ariel in a burst of aqua light. "Yes!"_

* * *

><p>"From then on, I made sure civilians saw me as Cure Ariel. It was simpler, safer...And I was to be Kokoro's and the royal family's protector, why should I be anyone else? I only became Otome at night, when everyone was asleep."<p>

"That's not fair, datchu!" Ti blurted out, taking Otome by surprise. "You're a Pretty Cure, but...but you shouldn't have had to be one _all_ the time, datchu!"

"That's right!" added Coffee. "Miho, Hiromi, and Aki are Pretty Cure and they're usually in civilian form! They're students and artists and they hang out and do fun stuff and be lazy!"

"Ehh...which of us are you referring to with that last one?" asked Montague with a frown.

Otome suddenly giggled quietly, behind one of her hands. As everyone looked back at her, she made herself calm down and lowered her hand back to her lap. "It's alright, Your Highness...I was the one who made that decision. I thought it best that way, and I could help people at any given moment." Her expression became downcast. "But...it looks like that didn't help me at all in the end, did it?" One of her hands began rubbing at the other, lingering over her ring finger.

"I'm sorry, Otome."

"Eh?" Otome looked up again.

Portia stood there with her head lowered, brows furrowed and twitching slightly. She held her hands in front of her chest, fidgeting with her fingers as she stared at the floor. Apparently it was much more interesting to look at the Otome right now. "We didn't find your Cure Signet. And I was the one who grabbed your hand and pulled you along... Maybe if we'd found another way, like if we just stayed to attack the Usotsuki, then maybe..."

Someone held Portia's hands.

She looked up again, blinking in surprise as she saw Otome in front of her, her own bare hands resting over Portia's gloved ones. Otome should have been angry, Portia thought, but she was smiling at her with a kind, warm expression that didn't match their dark and dismal surroundings at all.

"It's alright," she murmured, squeezing her hands. "There wasn't any time, and you were scared-"

"I wouldn't say I was _scared-"_

"And you'd probably never seen something like those before. I sure hadn't." Otome frowned slightly. "Well, I did once, but once was enough..."

"But now it's too dangerous to get your Cure Signet," Capulet admitted, kicking at the ground. "If we go back, those things might be around, ready to tear us limb from limb. We might not summon our weapons in time and...and there's no way of looking in to check if they're gone-"

"It's fine."

That voice was most definitely _not_ Otome. It was deeper, masculine...

Everyone glanced towards the doorway in surprise as Shylock entered the room, idly tugging something beneath his scarf.

"Her Cure Signet's not even in Heartbreak Manor. It's _here."_

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: A Pretty Cure's Heart, Shylock's Heart<p>

* * *

><p>"Shylock-"<p>

_"You...!"_ Otome pulled away from Portia and stormed over to Shylock before anyone could stop her. "You...!" She grabbed the front of his shirt, shaking him slightly before lightly punching his chest with one hand. "You – I don't know whether-!" More shaking, this time a little harder; her arms shook a bit, as if she wanted to lash out and hit him but she couldn't bring herself to do it. But he deserved it, didn't he? But at the same time he'd never directly harmed her and it was wrong to hit someone who-

"I don't know if I should hit you or hug you right now, you idiot!" Otome yelled, face turning red. "You – you stupid - _what were you thinking, Shylock?!"_ she shrieked, and her last words were punctuated by a faint sob.

Everyone blinked, seeing her slowly relax, the fight going out of her for the most part as she glared tearfully at the Shitsuren boy. "What were you _thinking?_"

Shylock looked away.

"_Look_ at me when I speak to you!"

"It was the only way to keep you safe...Break swore to me, if I did what I was told, if I did what the others were doing, if I helped create Usotsuki..." Shylock's voice was thick and halting as he spoke, still not looking at Otome. He seemed to find the floor just as fascinating as Portia had earlier. "If I did my part without hesitation, he'd spare you...You wouldn't be-"

"You thought I'd be okay with that, Shylock? That I'd be _fine_ with being safe while Kokoro was destroyed?"

Shylock flinched.

The others saw Otome's shoulders relax a bit, and her grip on Shylock's shirt loosened. When she spoke again, her tone was still tight and upset, but softer than it'd been when he first entered the room. "Shylock...I'm supposed to protect Kokoro. Kokoro and the royal family... Did you really think I wouldn't want to fight back, to protect it, even after what you told me? Did you think I'd be alright with surviving while everything else was _gone?_"

The boy's mouth was drawn into a thin, fine line. After a moment of silence, he whispered "Break said he'd get rid of anyone in his path who stood up to him...anyone who would wish to stop him...I couldn't...I couldn't let..." His hand tightened on whatever was under his scarf. "I couldn't..."

Somewhat alarmingly, a _sob_ escaped his throat.

Otome sighed, shaking her head before closing the gap between them...

...and hugging Shylock close, her chin resting on his shoulder as he seemed to collapse onto her, his own hands coming up to grip the back of her dress. "I understand how you feel, Shylock," she whispered, stroking his hair. "But you know this wasn't going to fix anything..."

"I was desperate – I was scared, I-"

"I know..." Otome gave him a reassuring squeeze, then stiffened as she suddenly seemed to remember the others were there. She turned around, smiling awkwardly at the staring Cures and fairies. "Uhm...let me explain something..."

"Can we explain...while we walk?" Shylock managed, voice a little hoarse. "We need to find the Cure Signet-"

"Yeah. Yeah, anything," Montague said, still wide-eyed.

"Just as long as you _explain_," added Capulet.

* * *

><p>"I've searched Heartbreak Manor top to bottom, and found nothing. I was able to look around in here too, without anyone noticing," Shylock said.<p>

The group was making their way down a large hallway, glancing into various doorways as they passed. The rest of the castle was just as dark, ruined, derelict as the room they'd fallen in. Dust particles floated idly in the moonlight, the group's footsteps echoed in the empty halls around them. Capulet found herself hugging Montague's arm a bit.

"You've probably figured it out by now, but Shylock and I go back quite a bit..." Otome murmured.

* * *

><p><em>After they'd met at what each had assumed to be their secret spot, Otome and Shylock continued to see each other.<em>

_They'd meet to stargaze in that same spot they met. At first, they stood several feet away from each other, engaging in idle conversation. What were their families like? (Otome didn't have a family; she lived alone. Shylock hadn't a blood family – he and Tamora had been informally adopted.) What did they like to do? (Otome admitted she enjoyed flower arranging and fashion; Shylock preferred to be alone with a book.) What did they like to eat?_

_Strawberry sundaes. Both of them._

_Shylock learned she would eat them when she was sad. They began to eat strawberries and ice-cream more and more often as time went on. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you last night, Otome," Shylock murmured, grip tightening on his spoon. "My family...our benefactor was getting suspicious. If I was caught-"_

_"They're is no one to fear," Otome said in a wooden tone. "So they're a bit strange on what love is. That's alright; they can learn for themselves how wonderful love can be. But even until then, their...viewpoints, don't make them a threat. If they were, something would have happened by now." She smiled at him. "You wouldn't be sitting with me."_

_He was quiet._

_"Shylock. I know you're worried, but listen. You have nothing to be afraid of!" She smiled, clasping his hand tightly. "Nothing will happen..."_

_He turned to look at her, his eyes empty._

_Otome just smiled gently, lifting her other hand to gently touch the side of his face. "Come see me tomorrow, during the Festival of Love. Please," she said._

_"...alright."_

_Cure Ariel watched as Coffee ran for the castle, carrying Ti to his bed. Then she turned on her heel, glowering as she stiffly approached Shylock. "Shylock!" she snapped as she drew closer to him. "Where were you? You promised you'd see me at the festival. I waited and-" She stopped, blinking as she suddenly took note of Shylock's carefully guarded expression. "Shylock? Shylock, what is it?" she whispered._

_He swallowed, looking away for a moment. "...something's going to happen."_

_"Shylock, what are you _talking about?"

_"I overheard Break speaking Lady," he blurted out in a rush. "Break is planning to attack Kokoro. Tomorrow." He looked back at Ariel, his face pale in the moonlight, eyes wide. "Ariel, what Break is planning will ruin Kokoro. I want..._

_I need you to escape before morning, so you'll be safe."_

_"Escape?" Ariel drew back, frowning again. "Shylock, I can't abandon Kokoro!"_

_"You have no idea what Break's planning, Ariel!"_

_"I know it'll be nothing to worry about! I'm a Pretty Cure, Break has been gone for a very long time, I can handle it!" She sighed. "Shylock, I know you're worried...but you have to remember who your girlfriend is. I'll take care of it!"_

_"Ariel, you-"_

_"Here." Ariel shoved something at him before he could finish his sentence. "I made you this at one of the booths..." _

_Shylock held the gift up; it was a necklace with cream-colored seed beads, with two larger, burgundy beads sandwiching a large, bright gold heart. "It's...a necklace."_

_"I have one too." Ariel smiled, shifting back into Otome. She held up her own necklace, already around her neck. "We match, see?" They did too – except where Shylock's beads were burgundy, hers were aqua green. "I expect to see you wearing it when we see each other tomorrow. Tomorrow when Kokoro is still safe," she smiled, winking_.

* * *

><p>"And then, Kokoro was..." Otome had murmured when the story was over, a hand coming up to clutch her necklace. "After I got Ti and Coffee out of there, I woke up in Heartbreak Manor, without my Cure Signet..."<p>

"So we need to find it now..." Coffee added, under her breath. "Shylock didn't take it, did he?" Her voice was a bit louder at that part.

"That wasn't my doing. I didn't even take her to our home," Shylock said. "Why do you think I've been trying to get her Signet back? I've been spending most of my time away from Heartbreak Manor, coming here!"

_It wasn't in Heartbreak Manor, it had to be in the castle. Some place no one from Shitsuren would care to check, a place with nobody around to even look for it._

"I had to keep Break from suspecting, so when I had to fight, I tried to make sure that Pretty Cure would defeat me...it was an easy task; you three are quite strong."

"Flattery won't-!"

"Thanks!"

Portia sighed. "Oh my _God_, Montague..."

"And I have to admit now...I was the one who opened the door and let the Usotsuki out." Before anyone could yell, he went on. "I feared the others would get suspicious of your presence! So I needed to distract them!"

"You could have picked a less dangerous method!" Portia snapped.

"I wasn't thinking..."

"Obviously not!" Portia muttered, rubbing her temple.

"Girls." Otome's voice cut in. "Please...Shylock made mistakes, and he regrets them. We can talk about it with him later, but now can we please look for my Cure Signet?"

They did just that. The library was first; they spent the most amount of time in there, Ti and Coffee climbing the shelves to check the highest areas for the ring. There was nothing.

The throne room yielded no results either. Nor did the ballroom, the dining room, or the art gallery.

Later, Capulet traveled down a very dark, very narrow hallway that ended in a locked wooden door. Unlike the door in Heartbreak Manor, however, there was no sound behind this one. She frowned, tried the knob. Nothing. "Maybe it's..."

"Hey, Capulet! Come back, I think we found it!"

Capulet's hand pulled away from the doorknob. "Really? Where?!" she called as she ran back to join the others.

* * *

><p>The mirror glowed, ripples spreading across its surface.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Hiromi and Aki pose back to back, forming a heart with their arms while Miho feverishly sketches them. Finally she smiles, and turns her sketchpad around – to reveal she's been drawing Coffee and Ti the whole time. Hiromi and Aki gape at her for a second before all three start laughing, and the Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: Miho, Hiromi, and Aki hold a large heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left, Aki taking the right, and Miho holding the bottom corner. They pull, and as the cookie comes apart there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the trio are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Everyone stood before a broken window, staring incredulously outward. "You can't be serious..." muttered Portia.<p>

"I kinda get it." Montague rubbed her chin. "I mean...it's a place you'd never think to look."

"But...on a roof?!" cried Capulet.

Outside was a large turret with a conical roof. And there, glimmering at the very top, as if it'd been placed there neatly, was the Cure Signet.

"How're we gonna- eh?" Coffee gasped as Capulet lifted her and Ti up. To her surprise, they were set inside Shylock's scarf. "Capulet?"

"I really..." Capulet whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut as she knelt down, arms behind herself. "Hate...heights...

_"Hop on, Otome."_

"Pardon?" Otome blinked. Shylock did the same.

"We're getting your Signet," Montague said, climbing out the window and leaping across to the roof.

"Capulet, you want help carrying her?" Portia offered, helping the pink-clad Cure stand up straight. "C'mon, you go with Montague – I'll carry Otome."

And she did just that. A few moments later, all three Cures were slowly, nervously making their way up the conical roof, Otome holding tight to Portia's back. "Just don't look down, Otome!" Coffee yelled from where she, Ti, and Shylock stood at the window.

"Portia, you don't need to go this far..." Otome chuckled. "I can climb."

"...you can?"

"Yeah! I climbed trees when I was little all the time, how much different can this be?" she asked, starting to slide off and find a steady position on the rooftop herself.

* * *

><p>From the mirror, several feral Usotsuki burst forth, screaming as they surged down the hall, seeking out the Cures.<p>

* * *

><p>Shylock blinked, tensing up.<p>

"Shylock, datchu?" Ti asked.

"Ti, Coffee...stay in my scarf!" Shylock yelled, whirling around. He drew his rapier, slashing at the Usotsuki that rushed at him. He managed to take out several of them, but still more surged past and through the window behind him. He lifted an arm to shield his face, his scarf and hair ruffling in the fierce wind the creatures made as they moved. "Pretty Cure!" he yelled, turning around to see them.

It was too late. Several feral Usotsuki shot for the girls, mouths open wide and claws bared.

One landed directly above Montague, slashing at her face as she looked up at it. She let out a shriek, flinching back and covering her eyes with her hand-

And Montage's foot slipped on a loose shingle, causing her to go sliding down the conical roof a few feet. "Kyaaaah!" she shrieked, digging her fingers into the grooves of the shingles. The rough texture scraped at her hands, but the fabric of her gloves protected her from real damage.

"Montague!" cried Capulet.

Montague gripped the roof harder, gritting her teeth as she looked back up. "I...really...hate..." In a burst of purple light, her Rapier Wand appeared in one of her hands. She aimed at the Usotsuki that'd attacked her, which was now half-running, half-falling towards her. _"These things!_ **Pretty Cure Majestic Amethyst Shoot!"**

The purple blast tore the Usotsuki apart from within, but Montague didn't wait for it to be over. Frantically, she began tearing back up the conical roof as best she could with one hand full. Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Capulet!" she shrieked.

Another Usotsuki, a bird-like one this time, was swooping down for Capulet. She looked up, crying out in alarm, and hastily summoned her Rapier Wand.** "Pretty Cure Glorious Golden Shoot!**" Another Usotsuki gone.

But both girls, in their pausing to attack, were fallen behind Otome and Portia.

"Portia, hurry! We'll try to hold them back! **Glorious Golden Shoot!"** Capulet shouted again, blasting another Usotsuki.

"Right! C'mon, Otome, your ring's-" Portia suddenly gasped as an Usotsuki threw itself over the roof from the other side, seizing her and sending her skidding down the roof with it. Leaving Otome to hold the roof alone.

"Portia!" she screamed, the others' voices joining her.

**"P-Pretty Cure...Bronze Truth Shoot!"** The Usotsuki seemed to explode, revealing Portia tumbling and rolling down, Chest of Revelation in her hands. She made it vanish in a burst of bronze light but it was too late. She'd already tumbled over the edge.

_"Portiaaa!"_ screamed Otome.

A pink glove snapped around Portia's wrist.

Capulet had allowed herself to fall, going after Portia, and now stood precariously on the edge of the roof, one hand holing Portia and the other holding Montague's hand. Montague lay flat, her other hand gripping the shingles for dear life.

"Go, Otome, go!" she screamed.

Otome hesitated just for a moment, then nodded. "I'll come for you, I swear!" she yelled over her shoulder as she continued her frantic climb. She was almost there...she could see the gleam of her Signet, she was almost-

The remaining Usotsuki shrieked, surging for her. The other Cures wouldn't be able to stop them, their hands were all full-

"No...you..." Otome growled. _"Don't!"_ In a final burst of speed and strength, she shot herself up, a hand closing around the Cure Signet.

Immediately, there was a bright, aqua-colored light. The Usotsuki that were upon her screamed and drew back, eyes squinting against it.

From their position in the window, Shylock and the fairies' eyes widened. "That's-"

"Otome!" yelled the other three Cures.

**"Pretty Cure...Love's Song!"** Otome floated in a void of aquatic blues and greens, her hands gently sweeping across her face. She shut her eyes and leaned far back as she spun around on one foot, her hair trailing behind her as it glowed brightly and changed into long, magenta twintails. At the end of her spin, her legs glowed aqua green and the light burst apart into a shower of hearts to reveal her boots. She clapped her now-glowing hands together, then flung her arms outward at her sides. The glow on her hands burst away in the same manner as the ones that'd been on her feet, revealing her gloves. A bright glowing heart spiraled down from above, landing on her chest as she gently held her hands on either side of it; the heart suddenly grew and split apart into long ribbons of light that wrapped around her body and burst outward to reveal her Cure dress. Her necklace, which had been around her neck all the while, became an aqua light that shot down to around her waist. It circled her and burst apart to reveal that it had become a fashionable chain.

She smiled and opened her now violet eyes, tossing her head as more glowing light particles gathered on her head, ears, and around her neck. They burst apart to reveal her tiara, earrings and choker.

A Pretty Cure once again, she wore a teal and pale aqua dress with puffy, slashed sleeves, and a pale mint high collar. Over her chest was a dark teal heart brooch over her teal chest-bow. She had a mint-colored corset with aqua green ribbons crossing over the front, and a slashed skirt that bore the same colors as her sleeves over mint petticoats. Her mint gloves went just past her elbows before flaring open, revealing another layer of scalloped, aqua lace on the inside; teal ribbons encircled her wrists. Her aqua boots went up to her thighs, teal ribbons on the outer sides of her legs with ribbons of the same collar around the ankles. The heels and toes of the boots, as well as a middle section of the front, were mint green in color. Atop her head was a golden tiara with a dark teal heart-shaped gem, earrings of the same color dangled from her ears, and a dark teal choker wrapped around her throat. Around her waist was a thin and delicate magenta chain, a sea-green heart dangling in the center.

**"The everlasting love in a maiden's heart..."** she recited, tracing a large heart in the air in front of her, aqua light trailing after her finger. She threw her arms out as the heart burst apart into small bubbles, then formed a heart with her own hands, holding it next to her face as she smiled proudly. **"...Cure Ariel!"**

"Cure Ariel..." Shylock whispered.

"Datchu..." added Ti.

Cure Ariel stood on the top of the roof, effortlessly maintaining her balance. Her eyes were closed, the light wind gently tossing her long twintails. A small smile appeared on her lips as her eyes slowly opened again.

The Usotsuki, who seemed to have been in a state of shock, suddenly remembered themselves and reared up to attack.

"No," she said simply – not in denial, but a simple statement of fact. _"Not again!"_

She clapped her hands in front of her chest once, a glowing aqua heart floating up between them. Ariel spun around on one foot once, snapping her fingers as she brought her arm out in front of herself. **"Sound of the Bells!"** The heart rippled before it changed shape, becoming longer, thinner...in an instant, a seafoam-green bow with a string made of pure, golden light appeared before her. **"Heart-Soul Bow!"** She snapped the bow up in one hand, drawing the other hand back as if she were aiming in archery. As she first began to move, another ribbon of green light appeared before becoming a glowing arrow. **"Pretty Cure...Lovely..."** She tautly drew the arrow back, a look of resolve on her face. Her expression intensified, and suddenly several more arrows appeared around her, one for each Usotsuki. **"...ARROW!"**

She let the arrow in her hands fly, and as it did so did the others. Each one shot an Usotsuki right in the middle of the chest, burning their way through to the other side and leaving just a heart-shaped, sea-green glow in them.

At the edge of the roof, Montague had finally managed to pull back Capulet – who in turn, pulled up Portia. All three of them were on their hands and knees, staring in awe as the last of the aqua lights faded. "Amazing..." Capulet whispered, eyes wide.

"U-Uso..." mumbled the last Usotsuki as it disintegrated from the inside out.

Ariel lowered her arms back to her sides, her bow disappearing in a burst of light. After a moment's pause, she smiled down at her teammates, seemingly radiating with pride.

* * *

><p>"Well, I can't stay here anymore..." muttered Ariel as the group walked down the hall. "There's nothing left..." she added, frowning.<p>

Shylock looked away, but said nothing.

"That's fine."

"Eh?" Ariel looked up at the speaker.

Montague was smiling, shrugging her shoulders as if her next statement was obvious. "You can stay on Earth."

Ariel blinked. "Earth? In your hometown?" She chuckled a bit, scratching the side of her face. "Well, alright, it makes sense, but, where will I stay? I don't know the state of your city's shelters, or if there even is one...I have no money for board, so a hostel is likely out-"

"Fffft, that's easy! You can live with me!" Montague said, in the same tone one would use to say _If you're thirsty, help yourself to that water._

"With...you?"

"Why not?" Montague shrugged again. "I live in a huge mansion, I've got plenty of room and you won't be a bother to anyone. Emma and Sebastian will probably like that I've got a friend staying with me; they love meeting all my friends!"

"It'd be a bother-"

"Don't throw away Montague's kindness, Cure Ariel, datchu!" Ti half-scolded, half-laughed as he shook his paw. "Pretty Cure need friends, and friendship, and they have to accept kindness of others, datchu!"

"You better listen to her, Ariel..." Capulet chuckled sheepishly. "Montague's really persistent..."

"Yes I am!"

"Well..." Ariel chewed her bottom lip for a moment before laughing. "If I've got no choice..."

"Not really."

"Then I accept!"

"Yaaaaay! Cure Ariel is my roomie! Capulet, Portia, you two come over for sleepovers, okay?"

Everyone laughed as they entered the room with the mirror.

"And I'll return to Heartbreak Manor."

Everyone fell silent, staring at Shylock. He stared back, expressionless. "...they are my family," he murmured, tugging something under his scarf. "And I turned against Break...I have to go back and face them."

"Shylock, you can't go back there anymore," Coffee murmured. "If the others realize you had something to do with this-"

"And I'm sure they have," Ariel said. She frowned, reached forward and clasped both of his hands in hers. _"Shylock...come back with us."_

"I..."

"If it's about having a home, you can stay at my house too!" Montague offered. "I've got _tons_ of room!"

"If you want, you can even register to go to school!" Capulet added, sounding a little excited by the prospect. "You and Otome both can!"

"Or if you don't want that, just hang out with me," Portia said with a broad smile. "That's an offer for _both_ of you!"

"It'd be dangerous to go back there, datchu..." Ti said.

"Shylock...please?" Ariel asked, expression softening as she clasped his hands tighter. "I don't want us to be separated anymore, on different sides, having to hide..._stay with me from now on."_

There was a few moments of silence as they all stood there, in the wreckage of the castle. Capulet and Montague still had one foot through the mirror each, but neither would move until they heard Shylock's answer. Portia stood right behind Ariel, ready to take both of them through if it was what he wanted. And Ariel just kept smiling, pleading, at him.

Shylock drew in a deep, shaking breath...and then smiled. "Alright...alright, Otome."

Ariel let out a short, overjoyed laugh and jumped up to hug him tight. Shylock smiled still as he hugged back, briefly nuzzling against her cheek. "Shylock, you won't regret this," Ariel said as she pulled away. "We'll make things right...we'll go back to how we were – better than we were before!"

Capulet and Montague stepped back into the mirror fully now, allowing Portia to begin entering. She edged backwards, guiding Otome who guided Shylock.

"I...I look forward to it!" Shylock laughed himself.

_**"Traitor."**_

There was a sudden rushing sound, like thunder and a waterfall at once.

It happened in a single instant. Shylock slammed his hands against Ariel, shoving both her and Portia through the mirror. And then Shylock's eyes went wide, lips slightly parted as he suddenly reared back, his hands releasing Ariel's on their own accord. The others watched in horror as, seemingly in slow-motion, Shylock kept rearing backwards, his hair flowing past him. His scarf came undone, finally revealing what he'd been tugging on.

The moonlight glinted off the heart-shaped necklace he wore as he crumpled to the floor in a heap, his eyes wide and glassy.

_"Shylock!"_ Ariel screamed, now on the other side of the mirror, being pulled away against her will.

Break stood in the entryway of the room, a shadowy hand outstretched. _"I warned you, boy,"_ came the hissing voice. _"I warned you this was your last chance, that I'd remove anyone who stood in my way..."_ That deed done, Break began to cross the room towards the mirror itself.

"Shylock, no!" Ariel shrieked, trying to pull forward. But the tunnel couldn't allow that, so all that happened as her descent was slowed. Portia tried to hold her back ("Ariel, stop! It's too late, there's nothing we can-!") but Ariel struggled against her, elbowing her, kicking her, anything to get back to the mirror. "Shylock!"

Break stepped over Shylock's body, which was already glowing bright red. Break lifted a hand, aiming it at the mirror's surface, energy gathering in the palm.

**"Pretty Cure Dual Heart Strike!"**

Break cried out as the blast hit, stumbling back-

Shylock's glowing body burst apart into tiny particles of red light-

The image shattered and vanished, the mirror unusable.

Montague and Capulet held each other around the shoulders, their Rapier wands out, breathing erratic. Montague kept blinking, Capulet just allowed the tears to stream down her face. Portia hugged Ariel tighter; Ti and Coffee clung to Capulet's shoulders, shaking like leaves in a storm.

Ariel didn't stop screaming.

* * *

><p>Mrs Matoko was finally heading home for the day. She sighed and popped her back as she began to descend the stairs. "Ah, I can't wait to get home..." she muttered. Suddenly she halted, frowning. Wait...was that...?<p>

No, that was definitely the sound of a student.

"Excuse me!" she snapped as she hurried down the stairs and began to round the corner. "But you should have all gone home by now and- eh?" She stopped, just two steps away from the landing.

There were Aki and Hiromi, kneeling on the floor with their friend, the one who'd come to visit earlier and walk them home...Miho, her name was, right? And they were all clustered together, surrounding another girl Mrs Matoko didn't know. The fourth girl wasn't wearing a uniform either, but that wasn't important.

What was important was the fact that all four of them were crying bitterly, the new girl sounding like she couldn't get enough air, tears and mucus dripping from her face.

"Oh...my god..." Mrs Matoko whispered, dropping her purse and rushing to the quartet. "Girls! Girls, sweethearts, look at me, is anyone hurt? Girls...?"

"It's not fair...n-not f-fair...why...?" the fourth girl was sobbing into Hiromi's shoulder.

Mrs Matoko reached out to this girl, gently rubbing her back. "Girls," she whispered. Despite the fact that a whisper wouldn't be heard over such loud crying, she couldn't seem to make herself speak any louder. "What _happened..?"_

_"Why...?!"_

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Aki: "Hey, hey, Sebastian and Emma are taking us to my family's summer house at the beach! Let's go, let's go!"

Miho: "Watermelon smashing, watermelon smashing!"

Otome: "Uhm, I've never done something like this..."

Miho: "No worries, just blindfold yourself and swing the bat!"

Otome: "Like this?"

Hiromi: "Not over here, not over here!"

Miho: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Fun In the Sun and Sea! Let's Have A Break! ' Let love heal your heart!"


	17. Chapter 17

Otome blinked blearily at the trio before her. "E-Eh...? The beach?" she mumbled, still half-asleep and rubbing at one eye.

It was morning in the Oshiro home. Aki had made good on her offer to house Otome, and had brought the slightly-older girl with her the evening of her rescue. Sebastian and Emma had been rather surprised, but pleased as Aki said they would be, and said they would pass the message along to Aki's parents. Despite being overseas dealing with the American branch of Castle Toys at the time, the Oshiro parents still sent back an email that same night, expressing their joy that Aki was having more and more friends over lately.

Otome had been ready to sleep on the couch, but Sebastian and Emma would have none of it, and swiftly cleaned up one of the guest bedrooms down the hall from Aki's own. Toiletries were immediately provided for, bedding cleaned, Aki gave Otome free access to her vast closet...it was as if Otome was a long-time friend staying for holidays instead of a girl they'd _just_ met.

Otome was still unused to such hospitality after those months in Heartbreak Manor, though she was still trying to adjust to it. And she definitely wasn't used to the bright smiles on Sebastian's, Emma's and Aki's faces as they stood at her door.

"Yes," Sebastian said, rather charmingly. "It's been a few days since you arrived here, and...well, Emma and I do not wish to pry, but the young miss says you seem a little morose sometimes. And it's summer vacation besides, so she thought..."

Emma smiled and held up a ring of keys around her index finger. "We'd accompany you, the young miss, and your other two friends to-"

"The Oshiro summer house~!" Aki yelled, thrusting her fist into the air. She was already dressed for the part, too: a cream-colored tiered, ruffly sundress that came to her mid-thigh, and white sandals with large flowers at the toe-straps. "Get dressed, Otome!"

Otome blinked again. "Summer house...?"

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>Some time later, Otome sat stiffly in the backseat of a minivan, wedged between Aki and Miho. She'd changed by now, clad in a black bikini with mint-green ruffled trim around the top of both pieces, and black water shoes. She'd wrapped a fluffy mint towel around her waist in lieu of a skirt.<p>

Next to her, Miho was wearing black sandals, snug black swimming shorts, and a swimming top that looked as if someone had layered two asymmetrical tops – one yellow and one black.

Sebastian drove while Emma sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window with her chin resting in her hand. Aki and Miho both looked happy, excitedly talking about the beach.

"You're gonna love the summer house, Otome!" Aki said, nudging the other girl. "It's just a super short walk to the beach from there, and there's a guy selling ice cream and snow cones, and you can get fireworks from the convenience store..."

"A-Ah, great...But are you sure it's alright to invite me along?" Otome asked. "I mean, you've got Miho, and Hiromi, and you're all great friends but I-"

"What better way to strengthen a bond than by going to a beach and having a long sleepover~?" cheered Miho. "Seriously, Otome, chill, it's cool. You're one of our friends now, too, remember?"

"Heeeeey, Hiromiiiii!" Aki yelled out the window before Otome could answer. "You bring enough stuff?" she laughed.

The car was sitting outside of Hiromi's house, the bespectacled girl awkwardly making her way from the front door to the car. In her hands were several different bags and Tupperware containers, all of which she was trying to balance and not send falling to the ground. "A-Ah, m-my sisters w-wanted me to b-bring all sorts of-"

"Hi-ro-mi! Did you remember extra sunblock?!" yelled Harumi from inside the house.

Hiromi jumped in surprise, dropping everything to her feet. "Waaaah, Big Sisterrrr!" she wailed.

From her shoulder, Coffee and Ti looked exasperated. "You'd think we were going abroad..."

"Datchu..."

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Fun In the Sun and Sea! Let's Have A Break!<p>

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, it was quiet again. But this time, the silence felt heavier, thicker and near-suffocating.<p>

Tamora sat in Riche's chair, but the man made no attempt to shoo her out of it. Instead, he leaned against the arm of it, unconsciously reaching for her hand when she sniffled quietly. "This is true?" he said quietly.

Across from them, her hands trembling somewhat as she lifted the teapot, Lady nodded solemnly. "Break had gone to Kokoro to search for any remaining survivors of the attack," she said. "And it was there they discovered Shylock aiding Pretty Cure..."

_Shylock collapsed to the ground in a crumpled heap, his eyes glassy and unseeing. _

_Behind him, Break held their hand out, the remnants of red energy crackling around the palm before fading away._

"...and releasing Cure Ariel. Break told me...Shylock was punished for his treachery immediately."

Tamora let out a loud sob. Riche absently patted the back of her hand.

"I feel we should find Pretty Cure, destroy them for-"

"Darling," Riche's voice interjected. "You know I want Pretty Cure gone as much as you do...but perhaps we should hold off a bit."

Lady lifted her head from the tea set, brows raised. "Hm?" she murmured, head tilting a bit.

"We have lost one of our own...a punishment or not, whatever his true intentions were, Shylock was our family, and we have lost him."

"I d-didn't e-even get to s-say goodbye..." Tamora whimpered.

"I believe it is best if we have a period of mourning first. Allow ourselves to process this," Riche concluded.

Lady was quiet for a few moments before she nodded, sighing quietly. "I suppose you are right...Here, the tea will help us with that, darling," she added, holding out a teacup.

"Ah! Darling your hand-!"

"Hm? Oh, this?" Lady laughed sheepishly as Tamora took her teacup, and held up her hand. Gauze bandages could be seen around her wrist. "I had a little mishap with the boiling water...It's fine, love, no worries. We have bigger things to think about."

* * *

><p>"Phwah!" Miho fell back on the couch in the main room, idly kicking her legs over the arm of the furniture. "What a great location! I can smell the sea salt even from here..." she sighed blissfully, nose twitching slightly.<p>

"Miho, you're exaggerating," Aki chuckled as she entered the room, setting down her knapsack.

"Tch-tch-tch~ I have a very sensitive nose, Aki~ I can definitely smell the sea from here."

"Then I'm sure your nose will be too sensitive for you to go to the beach," said Sebastian. He and Emma brought up the rear as the other girls entered the house. At Miho's loud cry of denial, he chuckled and redirected his gaze to Aki. "Young miss, why don't you lead your friends to the beach? Emma and I will get everything set up for you here, and prepare dinner for later tonight."

"Really? Thanks, Sebastian, you're super awesome!" Aki cheered. "C'mon, girls!"

"Wait, Aki, I didn't change yet!" Hiromi protested, "I gotta dress in cooler clothes!"

Throughout all this, Otome just stood there uncomfortably, rubbing one arm and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Everyone was so...cheerful. Happy.

It wasn't that she believed they'd forgotten what happened, far from it!

...she knew they hadn't.

* * *

><p><em>The quartet sat in the classroom, the last of their sniffles and sobs dying down. Otome sat with her hands clenched in her lap, shoulders trembling as she tried to compose herself.<em>

_A pale pink box was gently thrust into her view, and Otome blinked back tears as she looked up._

_Mrs Matoko was standing at Otome's desk, holding out a box of tissues with a concerned expression on her face. "Miss Aimiya," she murmured, kneeling as Otome took a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. "Do you have someone I can call? Parents, a teacher, a sibling...?"_

_"I – I-"_

_"She's staying with me," Aki cut in suddenly, catching both girl and teacher off-guard. The dark-haired girl was staring at her desk, bangs shadowing her eyes. Her own hands were clasped on top of her desk, little marks in her knuckles from where her nails had dug into her skin. "H-Her family's abroad and she's been staying with me..."_

_Mrs Matoko hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Then, Oshiro, I'm going to call your great-grandmother to pick you four up, okay?" There was no answer from any of the girls. "Oshi- ...Aki...sweethearts," she murmured in a softer voice. "You know you can all talk to me if something's wrong, if something's happened. But if you'd rather not, I'll understand that, too... Just know that as your teacher, I'll always be there for you, I'm always available to listen. That includes you too, Aimiya, Sakura. Okay?" Her hand rested on Otome's shoulder._

_That did it. Otome buried her face in her hands, sobs beginning anew as her shoulders shook, breathing harsh between cries. The hand on her shoulder didn't leave, but instead squeezed reassuringly. She heard the sounds of chairs being pushed back, and felt three more bodies surround her, hugging her tight and crying themselves. In the background, she could faintly hear Mrs Matoko's voice. "Hello, Granny Oshiro? This is Mrs Nanako Matoko, from your great-granddaughter's school...Yes, could you please come down to school?...Something's happened..."_

* * *

><p><em>"You seem a little morose sometimes..."<em> Sebastian's words from earlier came back to her, and she lowered her head a bit. Morose...that didn't seem strong enough at all.

"Otome!"

"Hm?" Otome blinked and looked up to see everyone else staring expectantly at her. Hiromi had already changed her clothes, and now wore a pink one-piece swimsuit with two little bows on the tops of the straps, and pink sandals. Tied around her waist was a long white sari with large, pale pink roses along the edges; the edges were a little sheerer than the rest of the cloth, showing the faintest outline of her legs near the bottom of the 'skirt.' She'd also tied her hair up into a single ponytail at the back of her head – Otome could faintly see Ti and Coffee hiding behind it like a curtain as they sat on her shoulders. "Yes?"

Hiromi smiled patiently. "I said, do you want to go to the town first, or second?"

No one else spoke up. Instead, Otome realized belatedly, they were all looking at her, expecting _her_ to pick.

What an odd, different sort of expectation. "I, uhm...town first? Because the water will be cold for a little bit?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Aki said, pumping her fist.

* * *

><p>The town was a short, easy distance from the summer house. There was a short, sandy path that wound between a few green trees, and at the end the girls stepped right onto a residential sidewalk. From there it was only a three-minute walk down, and voila, there were in the small beach-side town. Various small shops, all family-owned, lined the road; the road was rather simple too, no painted lines dividing it in half, and kids walked right down the middle of it without a care. And it was easy to see why: everyone was walking instead of driving, and if you were to look waaaay down past the road, you could see a large parking lot where people would leave their cars to continue their journeys on foot. Many shops had their doors wide open and inviting, a few owners sat in chairs outside and only got up when a customer entered, and Hiromi saw one man eating his lunch right at the counter.<p>

"Ah, Miss Oshiro! Good to see you!" called a tan, weathered man in a sunhat.

"Ah, hi!" Aki beamed, pausing in her walk to wave at him. "Girls, this guy makes glass animal key chains. I used to come and buy some all the time when I was little!"

"Haha, yes, she did," chuckled the man, idly fanning himself. "My, you sure have grown, though. I remember you being this big-" He held his hand at about knee-level. "-and coming in here with some coins in your little fist, asking for a crab. Ah, you were so cute I gave you two of them..."

Aki blushed as the others looked at her in amusement. "S-Say, you got any more?"

Minutes later, the girls found themselves browsing the shelves and glass cases.

Ti peered out from his perch at Hiromi's shoulder, gasping and pointing to a tiny gray mouse with blue eyes. "Look, datchu! Look, it's Coffee!"

"Aw, thank you, but the colors are way off..." Coffee chuckled, a faint blush on her face. "Ah! Ariel, have you found something?"

Otome stood straight and tall, holding a glass octopus above her head and allowing it to slowly turn back and forth, catching the light. "It's so red!" she gasped, "He almost looks angry."

"Nah, he's just shy because a pretty young lady is holding him," Miho chuckled, nudging Otome in the arm.

"Ffft...hey, Aki, look at this!" Otome held out the octopus to her and-

"Kyaaaah! Get that away!" Aki cried, nearly dropping her marine-blue crab.

"Ehhh? Aki doesn't like octopuses?" Miho asked, then frowned. "Octopuses...Octopi? Octo...octo..." she began muttering.

Otome blinked, stunned...and then grin deviously, thrusting the trinket out at arm's length, into Aki's face. "But look! It's got cute little suckers and big shiny eyes! It's saying 'I love you, Aki!'"

"Get that thing away from me!"

"I love you, Aki! I love you, Aki! Don't put me on rice, Aki!"

"Octopeese...?"

"Aki, it's only glass, it's okay!"

"I love you, Aki~!"

"Cut it _out!"_

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner. _

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you bought that thing!" Aki cried.<p>

Otome laughed again, holding the octopus up to catch the light again. "It was so cute though..."

They were walking again, off to the next interesting sight. Aki was leading, as the others felt it was only appropriate. She knew this place, after all.

"And for the _record_," Aki huffed, cheeks pink. "It's not that I don't _like_ octopuses-"

"I had it right the first time, yes!" Miho whispered, pumping her fist.

"It's just...nothing should have that many legs, eurgh!" she finished, shuddering.

Otome smiled and slipped her souvenir into Hiromi's messenger bag, kindly donated for carrying anything the girls could get. "Technically, Aki, those aren't legs. They're tentacles."

"You know what I mean!"

"So I guess spiders are out of the question, too?" Otome asked.

Before Aki could answer, Hiromi giggled behind her hand. "Aki doesn't like spiders either. Once when we had cleaning duty, a spider scuttled out of the corner she was she scrubbing. She screamed so loud someone from the hallway ran in to see if she was hurt – he thought maybe the blackboard had fallen onto her, for the way she'd sounded!"

As the others laughed, Aki turned bright red and began sputtering. "H-Hiromi, whose side are you on?!" she cried.

"I'm sorry, Aki, but it was cute! I didn't think someone like you would-"

Aki looked away, puffing her cheeks out and making a "hrmph!" noise in her throat.

Otome patted her on the shoulder, trying to stop laughing. "Don't worry, Aki. If it helps, I'm not good with opossums."

They passed by a small ice-cream shop, and that was when Ti's stomach decided to start growling. Of course a treat was in order, and a few minutes later, they were all standing before a freezer display. "You think we should get cones or cups?" Hiromi mumbled.

"A cone feels more fitting for summer, but cups aren't as messy," Miho said.

"You know, you can do a cone that sits upside-down in a cup," Aki said before looking to the lady at the counter. "Hey, can I have lemon meringue?"

"Me too!" cried Hiromi. "I never had that as an ice-cream before. Have you, Otome?"

"Can't say I have..." the pink-haired girl said.

"You wanna try a sample?" Miho asked as she pointed to the tiny pink spoons by the register. "Oh, yeah, and mocha please," she added.

"No, I know what I want," Otome said before pointing to the strawberry.

The girls and fairies all exchanged glances.

* * *

><p>They went to a lot of different places over the next few hours. Aki dragged them to so many different places the girls thought they'd be buying something from <em>everywhere<em> at first. But Aki had told them not to worry, she'd pace them and they'd see more, new places in the next few days instead.

But even so, they hit quite a lot of places! There were some more souvenir stands – some selling seashells, or jewelry, or the obvious T-shirt. One man had a large food trailer and gladly gave Aki a small discount for the sizzling hot dogs she ordered the group; evidently, her family had given him some money to get his business started to begin with. There were places that sold only hair accessories like bandannas and colorful clip-on braids ("Really, Otome, this white one looks great on you!" Hiromi gasped as Otome eyed her reflection warily), a shaved-ice shop, and, possibly the most out-of-place...

"I didn't really expect there to be a nail salon in spot like this," Hiromi said.

"Well, they're locally-owned, and with so many bare feet around, I guess everyone likes to have their toes look nice," Aki said. She and the others sat in a row of chairs, their feet in the little tubs of bubbling water.

Miho snickered behind her hand as one of the technicians began drying her off. "This really tickles! Hey, Otome, have you ever been to something like this?"

Otome was staring at the tools the technician was laying out as if she thought they were going to be used for stomach surgery instead of on her toenails. Her fingers dug into the arms of her chair a little. "No, can't say I have," she admitted, voice quavering a bit. "Back home I didn't have a lot of time for things like this, and no one saw my feet anyway. Gyah, what's that?!"

"It's just to push back your cuticles, miss. No need to worry," said the technician.

"I'm amazed, Otome," said Aki. "You've faced...a lot of bullies and jerks, and yet you're shying away from this?"

"W-Well I'm not used to this!" Otome stammered. _"What's that?!"_

"It's just a pumice stone, hon."

Hiromi tapped her lips with a fingertip as she looked at the nail polishes before her. "I like the sparkly pink..."

Her hair shifted a bit, Coffee peering out from her hiding place. "Can I get my nails painted too?" she whispered.

"I'll buy a bottle after this," Hiromi whispered back.

Otome watched her three friends get their nails painted. Now it was her turn, wasn't it? She honestly couldn't remember having that happen with her before...what color would she even choose?

"Miss?" the technician prompted.

"Ah, yes." Otome looked at the polishes –

-and blinked. Her gaze had immediately locked on one color in particular. A bright, lime-green gel color.

The girls could feel the atmosphere changing. One by one, they leaned over to peer worriedly at Otome, who sat still with her finger poised as if she still couldn't choose. "Otome?" Hiromi called over.

Otome shook her head. "That green. Please..." she said in a thick voice.

* * *

><p>"Aki, what's with the watermelon?" Otome asked with a frown.<p>

Toes painted, the sun setting, it was soon decided to head back to the beach. Aki and Hiromi walked with a plastic shopping back between them, a personal watermelon inside it. Otome had suspected they were going to eat it, but...Well, Miho had also bought a bat.

Miho was the one who decided to answer, tapping the bat against her shoulder. "Oh, right! I bet you don't have this in Kokoro. We're gonna smash the watermelon!"

"Whaaaa?" Otome, Ti, and Coffee said in unison.

"See, it's this awesome beach game! You'll see! Or not, I guess," Miho laughed.

"Okay, now you all really have me worried..." Otome muttered.

And soon enough, Otome was on the beach, arms in front of herself as Hiromi gently tied a strip of cloth over her eyes. "I am _really, really_ worried," Otome deadpanned.

"Don't worry," came Aki's voice.

Otome felt something being pushed into her hands. The bat. She gripped it tightly, allowing someone (Hiromi? They felt gentle) to adjust her fingers on it and change the angle she held it at. "What's going on?"

"Okay! It's watermelon smashing!" Miho said. "Kick your foot out a little – no, not too fast or you'll hurt your toes! There you go, just tap a bit. Okay, that's the watermelon you're feeling. How this works is we make it so you can't see, and then we're gonna spin ya 'round, and then you smack the watermelon with the bat!"

"Isn't that a waste of food?" Otome blinked behind the blindfold.

"Nah, nah, we got cardboard under it. We're gonna eat it when it's split. H'okay, house rules! Spin you three times, you get one chance to hit the watermelon. If you miss, take the blindfold off and let someone else try! We're gonna go you, then me, then Hiromi, then Aki!"

"How come I go last?!"

"Because you're the host and it's polite to let guests go first."

Otome didn't hear the rest very clearly as she felt Hiromi grip her shoulders and start turning her. Otome felt herself being spun one direction, then abruptly go the other direction, and then once more the other way. "Okay, Otome!" she heard Hiromi's voice from...somewhere. "Hit the watermelon!"

"Hit it, datchu!"

"You say that but-!" Otome cried, taking a step one direction-

-and freezing when she heard Hiromi squeal _"Not me, not me!"_

Otome blinked again. Then, a slow smile grew. After a second, her lips parted so she smiled with her teeth showing, snickering with her shoulders shaking. "Ehhhh, I think I heard the watermelon talk!" she laughed, taking another step forward.

"Kyaaah! I'm not a melon!" Hiromi's voice cried – but Otome could hear it. There was more laughter than fear. "Get Aki, she's the melon!"

"I am not! Gyah, Otome, not over here!" Aki squealed as Otome followed her voice and held the bat at chest-level. "Otome, no!" she laughed, and the faint _fwump_ sounds revealed she was running away.

"Heeey, c'mon, melon! I gotta smack you!" Otome crowed, chasing after Aki.

"Kyaaaaah! Noooo!" Aki shrieked with laughter as she ran faster. "Miho, save me!"

"I'm the melon!" Miho yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Abruptly, Otome changed course, running towards Miho, her bat held before her like it was a divining rod. "You melons need to quit moving around!"

"I'm a melon, datchu!" Ti shouted from Otome's left.

Otome ran towards him, and Hiromi by extension.

"Melon!" Aki yelled, from a different location than Otome'd left her.

"Melon!" Miho and Hiromi yelled at the same time.

Otome briefly debated which way to go before running towards Miho. Made sense, she'd _just_ been after Hiromi, after all.

"I'm a melon!"

This went on a bit; the girls and fairies would yell for Otome, and Otome would follow their voice. Her face was getting flushed pink from exertion and laughter, she felt her cheeks starting to ache from her big smile. Sand was sticking to her legs from all that running, but she didn't care. She could hear the others laughing, panting for breath as they yelled "I'm the melon!" at her just before she reached one of them.

* * *

><p>Up above the beach, Sebastian and Emma stood on the deck, setting out the barbecued meats and steamed vegetables. Sebastian chuckled as he watched Otome nearly fall over in her haste to change course and run for Miho. "They're having a lot of fun down there..."<p>

Emma nodded, placing a bottle of soda on the table. "I think this was just what Otome needed."

* * *

><p>"Otome! Melon!" everyone shouted at once.<p>

Otome ran forward, lifting the bat over her head. "Hyaaaaaah!" She brought it down hard-

-and neatly split the watermelon in half.

"Alriiiight! Way to go, Otome!" Miho cheered, thrusting her fist into the air as the other girl lifted her blindfold. "Perfect score!"

"Yes, yes, good job," Sebastian called down to them. "Now come up here and eat!"

* * *

><p>Otome stared down at her barbecued beef, poking it occasionally.<p>

"Oh, don't tell me you never had barbecue," Miho said around a mouthful of food.

"Oh, no! Otome, I'm so sorry, are you vegetarian?" Emma gasped, her hand over her mouth. "Here, I'll steam some more vegetables for you if-"

"Oh, no, I eat meat..." Otome began, sitting with her feet tucked under her seat so she wouldn't kick the fairies eating below. "It's just I've never had...this."

"I was right! You didn't have barbecue!" Miho gasped.

"Don't worry, Otome, it's real good," Aki said, spearing a smaller piece and holding it out to her. "Take one bite, and if you don't like it, we'll load your plate with veggies."

"And I'll eat the barbecue instead!" Hiromi volunteered.

Otome laughed alongside the others, then carefully took the proffered beef. She eyed it warily for a few second, sniffed it once...and then just stuffed the entire thing in her mouth. Abruptly, she hunched over the table, shoulders shaking as she pounded her chest.

"Well don't just eat all at once, Otome!" Aki cried.

"Otome, you okay?!"

"'m fi'," she mumbled around her food, chewing awkwardly.

"Otome, you can cut it into smaller pieces if you want, you know..." said Miho.

"Nah, nah, 's'okay..." Otome forced out, straightening and tilting her head back. Her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's as she chewed for a few more moments, and then finally swallowed. The meat went down, and she exhaled loudly as she relaxed. "Okay..."

"Well?" Sebastian asked.

There was a beat as Otome didn't respond. Then suddenly, she grinned and held her plate up. "More please~!"

Everyone laughed as Emma obliged her.

* * *

><p>The beach was quiet as everyone finally went to bed. The girls all slept in the main room, several futons having been pushed together and draped with sheets. Emma and Sebastian had taken another bedroom, and that left the girls with the fairies.<p>

"What'll we do tomorrow?" whispered Coffee.

"I want more ice-cream, datchu!"

Aki yawned before gazing sleepily at the others. "I was thinking we could swim tomorrow...Otome, what do you think?"

No answer.

"Otome?"

Everyone looked over to the fourth Cure. Sure enough, Otome was already fast asleep, curled on her side with her hands in front of her face. She was drooling slightly in her sleep, one foot occasionally twitching.

Everyone smiled at each other. "She had a busy day, huh?" Hiromi whispered, carefully pulling Otome's sheet to cover her shoulders.

"We all did...but Otome needed it most, and it's been a rough few days for her, period," Aki said.

Miho nodded, brows lowering. "You think...you think this will help her? I mean, we can't make what happened go away, we can't undo the past...But I don't want her to be sad for too long. She should be happy, she should be laughing like she was when we played the watermelon game..."

"I hope it worked," Aki murmured. "I really hope it did."

"Datchu..." Ti yawned in agreement.

* * *

><p><em>Cure Ariel ran down a long, dark hallway. She couldn't see what was on the other side – it just disappeared into shadow. But she knew she had to go on in that direction.<em>

_Someone was following her. Someone taking slow, measured steps instead of running, yet Ariel knew if she stopped for just a second, they'd catch her. _

_Was she running to get away, or running to someone else?_

_A figure appeared before her. A familiar one, with a red scarf. "Shylock!" Cure Ariel cried, holding her hand out to him._

_Shylock turned around to face her, blinking in surprise. Then he slowly smiled, turning fully and holding a hand out to her. "Otome..."_

_He was okay. He was okay! She just had to reach him! Cure Ariel laughed, held her hand out._

_Their fingertips touched._

_A blast of red energy flew over Ariel's shoulder, singeing her hair._

_Shylock was struck in the heart, screaming as his whole being was enveloped in red before he burst apart into small particles of light-_

* * *

><p>The girls slowly woke up, blinking tiredly at the ceiling. It was still dark, and for a moment they wondered what had woken them. After all, it was quiet, the only sound was the waves gently crashing on the beach, and someone-<p>

...oh.

They looked over to the side, and saw Otome curled up with her back facing them. She was in a fetal ball this time, her head tucked as she softly cried, sounds faintly muffled by her futon.

Nothing needed to be discussed. The girls scooted closer, and Otome tensed up briefly as she felt them surround her, arms loosely thrown over her shoulders, her side...She felt the fairies move against the top of her head, nuzzling her hair a bit as the girls gently hugged her.

They stayed that way the whole night, until Otome cried herself back to sleep again.

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Miho: "Ehhhhh?! Rumor has it that Emi Watanabe has a secret lover!"

Otome: "I wonder who it is? Is it one of her co-stars?"

Aki: "I bet it's her bodyguard! Bodyguards and actresses always fall in love, right?"

Hiromi: "Wait a sec, why's she hiding it anyway? She seems really nervous..."

Aki: "Ahaha...like we're ones to talk..."

Hiromi: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'The Idol's In Love! More Star-Crossing?!' Let love heal your heart!"


	18. Chapter 18

Morning, even in a tourist beach town that was crawling with activity, was quiet.

One morning after everyone had freshened up – Miho had fallen asleep while brushing her teeth and had been standing in front of the mirror, holding her toothbrush for about two minutes before Aki noticed she wasn't among the group – Sebastian suggested they go to a local shop for breakfast. According to himself and Emma, they made _delicious_ choco-bananas.

"You just don't wanna cook for us today," Aki snickered.

Sebastian just smiled. "Well, that's a bit true. I'd like to go to the beach myself before things get too chaotic. But I also just think the more food you sample from _other_ people, the richer your experience here will be."

"Too la~zy to cook~" Aki teased.

"Ah, c'mon, Aki," Miho said as she stifled a yawn. "I could totally go for a chupacabra..." she mumbled, eyes sliding closed again.

Hiromi laughed, gently shaking Miho by the shoulder.

"Wake up, Miho, datchu..." Ti offered helpfully.

* * *

><p>OP: "Love and Joy PreCure" - Entwined Hearts Duo<p>

* * *

><p>"Phwaaaaah, that's better!" Miho loudly declared.<p>

"I told you the iced coffee around here is delicious," Aki said, smiling into her own cup.

A few people were already out and about – not as many as there had been when the girls first arrived, but enough so no one could entertain the notion of ever having a _quiet_ day. Plenty of people were passing them by, paying no mind to the girls and vice-versa. No one even raised an eyebrow when Hiromi held her strawberry-chocolate-banana to the mouse and rat on her shoulder.

So it was a bit of a surprise when Miho suddenly stopped and stared at a strange girl with shoulder-length blue hair a little down the road. "Wait a..." she muttered, squinting.

"Eh? What's up, Miho?" Aki asked.

"Hey!" Miho called, and began running down the road towards the girl. "Hey, you!"

"Ah, Miho! Miho, wait!" Aki yelled as the others chased after her.

Miho didn't wait. She narrowed her eyes a bit as she drew closer to the girl, who was slowly realizing _she'd_ been the one addressed.

The blue-haired girl slowly turned around, adjusting her glasses. Her aqua-colored eyes went wide as she smiled in recognition.

"It _is_ you! I knew it!" Miho said as she skidded to a halt, lightly punching the girl in the shoulder. "And you thought you could fool me-"

"Miho!" Hiromi scolded as she and the others caught up. "Don't be so mean to her!"

"I'm not bein' mean, I'm greeting a friend of ours-"

Otome smiled and held her hand out. "Ah, a friend of my friends is a friend to me," she said, unknowingly cutting off Miho. "I'm Otome Aimiya, and you are...?"

The girl smiled shyly and clasped Otome's hand. "Ah, hello..." she said in a soft, light voice. "I'm glad only Miho recognized me; it means my disguise is working!"

Hiromi and Aki blinked. That voice sounded a bit familiar...And a disguise?

Wait.

_"E-Emi?!"_

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: The Idol's In Love! More Star-Crossing?!<p>

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the girls sat inside a small cafe, in a corner booth with Emi sitting nearest the wall. The others sat around her, keeping her from view of the other patrons. Emi had said no one had recognized her yet, except Miho, but they didn't want to take chances.<p>

Emi smiled a bit as she stirred her green tea shake. "I'm surprised you recognized me, Miho! I mean, my wig's a completely different color and style than it normally is..."

Miho grinned broadly. "After you showed your true colors, I noticed your features looked softer, and your expressions just look lighter. It was super-easy to recognize you with that in mind!"

Hiromi blinked, her straw just an inch away from her mouth. "Wow, Miho, you really are a dedicated fan..."

"Heeee~! Anyway, Emi, I was kinda surprised to see you here. Well, not so much to see you in disguise though," she said with a frown. "How've you been holding up?"

Emi looked a little uncomfortable – and Miho opened her mouth as if to take back her question – but finally sipped at her shake and said "It's been a little stressful."

Miho nodded in understanding, concern etched in her features.

The other three exchanged glances. "Hey, ah, Miho, I like Emi's work, but I don't follow all those gossip magazines and fan sites and whatnot...Can you explain?" said Aki.

"Ah, you didn't know?" Miho said, blinking.

Emi's face turned a bit red as she began stirring her shake again. "Lately I've been bothered with some rumors..."

* * *

><p><em>Emi stepped out of the studio and walked towards her limousine. She still wasn't doing any filming yet, but she was looking into a part for a new dramedy. There was talk that she'd be playing the protagonist, a young girl who purchased a robotic boyfriend – and so once again, Emi was in the center of the media limelight.<em>

_As such, a swarm of paparazzi quickly surrounded her, shoving microphones and cameras in her face._

_"Miss Watanabe! Miss Watanabe! Is it true that you're interested in one of the potential co-stars?"_

_"Emi, Teeny-Bop Magazine has suggested you might be dating a fan you met! Is there any truth to this?"_

_"What's the future look like as far as dating goes?"_

_"Everyone, please stop!" someone else yelled. This person, with messy and short green hair, thick black glasses slipping down the bridge of their nose, held a copy of the script over Emi's face as they walked. Their free arm was looped around her shoulders, steering her through the throng. "Miss Watanabe is not taking any further questions!"_

_"Miss Assistant, do you know anything about-"_

_"No further questions!" The assistant opened the car door, hastily ushering Emi inside. Once the door clicked shut, the people outside unable to see them through the window, she sighed and dropped the script back onto her lap. "You alright, Emi?"_

_Emi nodded, toying with her hair. It was getting a little longer now that she had stopped cutting it, and fell in the slightest of waves to brush against her shoulders. "I wonder where the rumor about the fan came from?" she muttered. "I mean, obviously a magazine, but why would they think..."_

_The assistant flipped through some papers. "Well, apparently Keiko – you remember her, Keiko Ai, the idol singer? Apparently she was in a recent TV movie about a starlet falling in love with one of her fans just the other month. I suppose it's still fresh in peoples' minds." She sighed again, slapping the papers closed again. "And..." She blushed a bit, but went on. "And I guess people have noticed, your demeanor's changed a little..."_

_It was true. Emi had been seen walking out of her dressing room with a skip to her step; sighing blissfully on occasion, her cheeks tinted pink; once she'd been seen browsing in the pink, rosy area of a perfume aisle – and in this particular shop, everyone knew that this section was for romantics._

_"I'm sick of this..." she sighed quietly._

_Her assistant patted her hand._

* * *

><p>"These rumors are driving me insane," Emi sighed again, fiddling with her straw. "I can't go shopping for cute clothes without someone thinking it's for a boy. Every time I talk to one of my male colleagues, the press thinks <em>they're<em> the person I'm seeing. And today I found someone writing a fanfic about me and my potential co-star!" She let out a loud groan and thumped her head down onto the table, shoulders slumping. "It's terrible..."

Otome reached across the table to awkwardly pat Emi's head. The actress didn't seem to acknowledge it.

"Can't you just tell everyone to stop? Like when you had that live interview?" asked Hiromi.

"Hiromi, it ain't that simple," Miho said, squinting her eyes and thrusting her hand down. "Ain't you ever been the victim of rumors?"

"Uhm...not really?"

"It ain't that simple," Miho repeated in a deadpan voice.

"Hey, Emi..." Aki smiled a bit and leaned towards her, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. "Look, just...I can't give much advice, but you know, we're your friends. And we're here for you if you wanna vent, okay? Anytime you need us."

"That goes for me too, of course!" Otome said.

Emi finally lifted her head up and smiled weakly. There was a large pink spot on her forehead from where she'd pressed it to the table, and she rubbed it as she sat back up. "Thanks, girls..." She looked at her watch then, and gasped. "Oh my gosh, and I'm late!" Hastily, she removed the straw from her shake and downed the rest in two large gulps, setting the glass back on the table. "Thank you for the shake, Aki! I have to go, girls, I'm sorry! Ooooh...brain-freeze..." she muttered weakly as she jogged away.

As the girls watched her go, with varying degrees of bemusement on their faces, Ti and Coffee poked their heads out of Hiromi's canvas bag. "Poor Emi, datchu..." Ti murmured. "Life's not easy at all for an idol actress...That settles it! I'm never being an idol, datchu!" he declared, curling his paws into fists.

"Your Highness, I think you're already more famous and popular than an idol," Otome said with a chuckle.

Ti let out a long, faint _"Noooooo,"_ much to everyone's amusement.

* * *

><p>"I wonder what Emi was late for," Otome said, tapping her index finger against her chin. "You said she wasn't filming right now, right?" Otome had been filled in on Emi's situation shortly after the actress left the cafe. They'd been <em>about<em> to explain the concept of idols and actresses and paparazzi, but Otome had stopped them before they'd gotten too far.

"Girls, please," she had laughed, waving them off. "We have idols in Kokoro, you know."

Back to the present, Miho frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno...can't be an audition, this is such a small town."

"Well. Either way, it's none of our business, right?" Hiromi said. "I mean...she has her right to a private life. Just because we're friends doesn't mean we have to know _absolutely_ everything."

"Yeah, you're right, Hiromi," said Aki. The quartet stepped onto the boardwalk and headed for one of the souvenir shops. "Sheesh, and we were talking about that right after she told us about the magazines gossiping about her...I feel like a jackass," she groaned, tapping her knuckles to the side of her head.

The others laughed a little, Hiromi patting Aki in the back in reassurance.

"But anyway...Hopefully it'll die down, soon. I mean, even for idols this stuff doesn't last forev- Emi?!"

The last word came out like a squeal as Aki blinked and pointed straight ahead. Everyone looked to where she was pointing, and blinked, eyes wide and faces a bit pink.

Emi sat on a bench, her own expression mirroring the girls'. She sat on a bench, holding a cup of ice-cream in one hand and a little plastic spoon in the other. But that wasn't all.

She sat next to a green-haired girl with thick black glasses, who held her own spoon...but no cup. She'd apparently been eating out of the same one as Emi. Now, this wasn't such a surprise, really, but she was leaning towards the actress with the spoon halfway to Emi's mouth. And her other hand was gently covering Emi's...And both girls were blushing...

Miho was the first to respond. _"How cuuuuuute!"_

The green-haired girl turned bright red. "C-Cute?!" she squeaked.

* * *

><p>Tamora sat in the middle of her room in Heartbreak Manor, cross-legged on her bed. She held Ichiko in her arms, gently stroking between the teddy bear's ears as she stared ahead in silence.<p>

It felt...strange here, without Shylock and Ariel.

Sure, Shylock hadn't been around much. And she hadn't gotten to see Ariel much either but...but Ariel had been a constant presence, at least, you knew where to find her. And Shylock would always eventually come home.

_Would._

Her grip tightened on Ichiko, her body trembling slightly.

"Why did this have to happen?"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner. _

* * *

><p>"My name is Yoshi Kita. And since you're all friends of Emi's, I guess I can say it." She smiled nervously, face tinted pink. "I'm Emi's personal assistant!"<p>

"Personal assistant?" echoed Otome.

At this point, the girls had once again moved to another spot. Now they sat around a round wooden table near a hot dog vendor. Miho had quickly figured out what must be going on, and Emi had wanted a different place to talk. According to Aki, this spot wasn't as popular as the rest of the town ("The hot dogs are good, but they're not _that_ good," she'd said with a shrug), so it was a decent place to talk and not get recognized or bothered. This time they didn't have food, much to Miho's dismay.

"Yoshi organizes my fanmail, helps keep my schedule organized, does the shopping for me, and goes with me to interviews," Emi said, smiling at the girl in question.

"Isn't that what a manager does?" asked Otome.

"Well, yes, but Yoshi does some of it too. And again, a bit more – my manager doesn't buy my beauty products of favorite candy, Yoshi does. My manager doesn't bring over movies when I need to unwind and does girly things with me! My manager is someone who helps me out and takes care of me, but Yoshi helps me, takes care of me, and is one of my closest friends! I can count on her for anything!"

Yoshi smiled with her mouth open, eyes closing as she rubbed the back of her head – clearly she enjoyed the compliments despite herself. "Haaaah, Emi flatters me...I'm glad to do it, I'd do anything for Emi."

"Is that why you're dating?"

Emi and Yoshi both straightened, faces beet-red and mouths clamped shut.

Otome was the one who had spoken, and now she sat with her hands clasped before her, smiling warmly at the two girls. "Come on now," she said, tilting her head a bit. "I can tell. And we won't tell anybody, right?"

"Of course not!" Miho squealed, starry-eyed. "Oh my gosh, an actress in love with her assistant – wait, Otome's right, right?"

The two girls hesitated...and then Yoshi nodded, lowering her head so the light caught her glasses.

"An actress in love with her assistant!" Miho plowed on. "An assistant who loves her actress! You get to work together but see each other all the time! Awww, how cute..." She grinned, rubbing her chin. "Hm, I could use this for a manga..."

"Miho," Coffee whispered sharply from Hiromi's bag.

Emi and Yoshi were sitting in silence, staring at the tabletop. "I don't, uhm..." Yoshi began.

She was quieted by Emi reaching over to squeeze her hand. "It's okay, Yoshi," she murmured.

* * *

><p><em>Yoshi stood in front of Emi, her hands clasped firmly together in her nervousness. Her face was a bit pale, a little bit of sweat appearing on her temple. Emi was a tough girl, wasn't she? What if she didn't want Yoshi as her assistant? What if she got yelled at every day? What if...what if-<em>

_Emi just smiled. "Hello! You're Yoshi Kita, right? Let's get along from now on!" she said, holding her hand out._

_"Y-Yes!" Yoshi stammered._

* * *

><p><em>Yoshi soon found that Emi wasn't at all like she'd imagined. Emi was soft-spoken, liked cute things and strawberry shortcakes. She liked crane games with stuffed animals and nail polish and had a good eye for color.<em>

_But she didn't tell anyone this. For a long time, it was only Yoshi who got to see the real Emi._

_"You have such a nice fashion sense, Emi!" she said during a day at home. Emi had just left her room, wearing a cute white dress with yellow flowers silk-screened onto it. "Don't you want to dress like that all the time?"_

_Emi looked away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hmmm...yeah, but...But it would let all my fans down, don't you think?" she murmured._

_"But...what about you?" Yoshi asked with a frown. "Wouldn't you feel better if you could be yourself, wear things like that all the time?"_

_Her heart stopped for a second when Emi smiled at her. "That's what I like about you, Yoshi. You're always thinking of_ my_ happiness." _

_Yoshi turned red and started stammering nonsense, completely forgetting that Emi had changed the subject._

_But Emi wouldn't budge, no matter how Yoshi asked. In the end, Yoshi had to agree to help with Emi's 'mask.' Emi loved acting, and she loved her fans...she couldn't be selfish._

_She'd been overjoyed when Emi came home one day with bags of new clothes and hair accessories, declaring she needed Yoshi's help preparing her make-up for the interview. As Emi sat in that chair a few hours later, telling the viewers who she truly was, Yoshi couldn't help but admire her, her hand resting over her heart._

* * *

><p><em>"I'm glad you went through with this, Emi," Yoshi said with a smile.<em>

_"Hm?"_

_"To see you so happy...it makes me really happy too." Yoshi blushed a bit as she said that._

_Emi blinked, staring in surprise before smiling. And then, to Yoshi's great surprise, she leaned over and pecked her forehead. "Thanks. I like seeing you happy, too!"_

_Yoshi's heart skipped a few beats._

* * *

><p><em>"What's this?" Emi asked one day, staring at the paper Yoshi was holding out.<em>

_"I-it's uhm...my resignation letter," Yoshi mumbled, twisting her fingers around each other. At Emi's stunned look, she went on; "I...I really like you, Emi! But...but I'm your assistant and if we were to...if something were to happen between us, I'd be fired. We can't have personal relationships in the workplace, and I don't want to be apart from you—"_

_"You don't have to!" Emi blurted out, grasping Yoshi's hands. She looked at her in desperation, squeezing her hands a little. "We...we can hide this, right? Keep it a secret? Then you won't have to leave...I dunno if I can handle losing you..." she mumbled._

_Yoshi went quiet for a while. Then she nodded. "We...we won't tell anyone."_

* * *

><p>"Aaaand then I realized it anyway and made you tell..." Miho muttered, slamming her head onto the table. "I <em>suck."<em>

"A-Ah, please don't be upset, Miho!" Emi stammered, waving her hand in front of herself. "Really, if you think about it...this is a good thing."

"Yeah..." Yoshi mumbled, lowering her head, her bangs shadowing her eyes. "This...this means we can't keep it private after all. I mean, we slipped up and met in public and tried to go on a date, and...and we told someone really easily despite ourselves...

People already know Emi is in love with _someone_ - that's why the rumors are flying around, even if they don't know who. They already know something's up. It's only a matter of time before they find out it's me.

"I guess this means..." Her eyes teared up. "I guess we have to-"

"Fight."

Everyone looked up at Otome, who sat in the same pose she'd been when she'd first spoken, but instead of a warm smile, now she wore a look of steely resolve. When she finally smiled a little more, it looked as if she were about to give them instructions on how to steal the crown jewels. "You fight. If you want to be together, you find a way to make it work.

"Take it from me, you two...hiding does no good for either of you. All it can cause is pain, and you're too scared and worried about being caught to truly enjoy being together, to enjoy what time you do have. If you keep going this way, you'll be too afraid and worried to enjoy yourselves, and your relationship may suffer for it. You might end up separating anyway because you don't think you can handle it anymore. And that would be the worst thing ever.

"So what you should do instead, is be brave. Be brave, stand up and tell the truth. Fight to be together. Okay, so Yoshi _might_ have to find someone else to work for. Or she might have to find another job. But that shouldn't stop either of you from seeing each other. You can still date, you could even have a long-distance relationship if you have to. It'd be better than hiding all the time and living in fear of someone finding out, right?"

Aki and Hiromi glanced at each other.

Emi and Yoshi just stared at her, blinking in surprise. "You say that like it's so simple..." Yoshi muttered, face pink.

"It is and it isn't. It's a simple idea, but it'll be difficult to go through with it. And you don't have to take my advice, just so you know...But I'm saying it anyway; it will be a lot better for both of you in the long run if you stop hiding. The worst that can happen is Yoshi gets transferred, right? At least you wouldn't be separated forever." A dark look crossed Otome's face just then, but it vanished just as quickly. "If you love each other, fight for it!"

"Otome..." Emi whispered.

"What's the point of that?!" a new voice yelled.

Everyone turned to see-

"Tamora!" Otome gasped, standing up.

Tamora stood a few feet away, feet planted squarely, shoulders tense as she glowered at the entire group. The teddy bear in one of her arms did nothing to lessen the ferocity of her stance or her glare. Nor did the Heartbreak Marker in one tense, white-knuckled fist. "What's the point of fighting, what's the point of love!?" she yelled again. "Shylock loved once, and look where it got him!"

"Tamora-" Otome began, taking a few steps towards the other girl. She held her hands up as if to set them on Tamora's shoulders, to calm her. "Tamora, Shylock was-"

"All Shylock did was like you, Ariel!" Tamora shrieked, making Otome halt in her tracks. "And now he's _dead!"_

"Tamora, listen to me-!"

"No! I wanted to be your friend, I was nice to you and everything and – and Shylock's dead because he loved someone! I hate love, I hate it!"

"Gi-Girls, what's going on? Who's this?" Emi asked nervously, an arm around Yoshi's shoulders in a protective manner.

_"I hate it!"_ Furiously, Tamora uncapped the marker and swiftly drew a slashed heart symbol in the air. "Fall into heartbreaking despair!" she screamed, and flung her arm out.

The symbol split into two and shot towards the civilians. They struck Emi and Yoshi in the chests, pulsating once and surrounding them in a black aura.

"Yoshi! Emi!" screamed Hiromi.

The two girls slumped against each other, heads tilted back as they wailed openly, tears streaming down their faces. The black aura pulsed around them in time to their sobs.

Tamora just laughed, sounding half-mad. "Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world~!" she shouted, holding her arms out.

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

"Now it's your turn!" Tamora drew another symbol in the air and flung it at the nearby hot dog cart. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on out, Usotsuki!"

The symbol struck the cart, which was enveloped in purple light as the owner ran away from it. It flashed, and then an Usotsuki stood where the cart once was. It kept is basic shape, but had grown several times its size, developed fierce, angry red eyes and a mouth of fangs. It had no arms, but the wheels were turning rapidly, kicking up dust and sand as it revved itself up to move. "USOOOO!"

As the civilians ran, screaming, Otome looked from the monster to Tamora. "You don't even know what's going on, Tamora!" she yelled.

"Shut up! Just let the Usotsuki devour you so Shylock can rest in peace!"

"Pretty Cure, datchu!" Ti cried in terror.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"The steadfast love in a maiden's heart, Cure Portia!"**

**"The everlasting love in a maiden's heart, Cure Ariel!"**

The quartet stood in a row, each tracing a large heart in the air before them – ribbons of light trailing from their fingers. **"Our hearts connected!"** They then leaned into each other and formed a trio of hearts with their hands together; Ariel and Montage, Montague and Capulet, Capulet and Portia. **"Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!"**

"USO-KIII!" the monster shrieked, firing projectiles at the quartet.

Pretty Cure split into two groups – Portia and Ariel went to the monster while Capulet and Montague went to the table.

Capulet scooped up both Emi and Yoshi, leaping with them to the top of one of the flat-roofed buildings. "It's not ideal," she whispered to them as she set them down gently. "But I don't want you to fall in the water or get run over."

"We'll be back for you all, promise!" Montague added, setting the canvas bag containing Ti and Coffee next to the girls.

While Ariel ran towards the Usotsuki, Portia was kicking and punching away as many projectiles as she could – spin-kicking and side-punching without breaking a sweat or even glancing at what she was hitting. That is, until she grabbed one that was heading straight for her face.

"Eh?" she blinked, staring at it. "It's...it's shooting hot dogs at us!" she cried incredulously, a laugh punctuating her comment.

"Portia, put it down-!" Ariel shouted.

Too late. Believe it or not, the hot dog actually _exploded_ in Portia's grip, sending a cloud of hot spices into her face, burning her eyes and mouth. She gasped for air, eyes squeezed shut as she held her throat.

"Portia!" Ariel shouted. She was so close to the Usotsuki, but she had to get Portia. She still got in an attack, however, as she suddenly made a wide U-turn and delivered a powerful jump-kick to the Usotsuki in the middle. "Portia!" she yelled again as the Usotsuki rolled back from the impact.

She reached the tan Cure, supporting her back with her arm. "Portia! Are you okay?!"

"C-Can't...b-breathe..." Portia managed to wheeze. "M-my throat – burning!"

"USOOOO!" The Usotsuki roared again, its wheels kicking up another large cloud as it surged forward, heading straight for the girls-

"Pretty Cure Dual Kick!"

As Ariel leaped away, getting Portia to safety, Capulet and Montague appeared out of seemingly nowhere to deliver a powerful double-kick to the Usotsuki's side. Once again it found itself falling over...but a different direction.

"U-Uso-?!" it squeaked, thrashing in an attempt to right itself.

Capulet just smiled as she and Montague gracefully landed on the ground. She held out an index finger, casually leaned towards the Usotsuki...and tapped it. "Capulet Poke."

With a _CRASH_ the Usotsuki fell to the ground.

Ariel looked up from where she was tending to Portia, pouring water on her eyes while Portia herself gulped down even more water, washing away the spice in her throat. "It's down!" she gasped.

Portia grinned, eyes still shut. "Get it, Ariel!"

"Right! **Sound of the Bells! Heart-Soul Bow! Pretty Cure Lovely Arrow!"**

The light arrows shot for the Usotsuki as it kept wiggling, trying to save itself. It screeched as the lights tore through it, leaving a sea-green heart on its front. "U-Uso..." it murmured weakly, the light disintegrating it from within.

In a few waves, the Usotsuki went back to being a hot dog cart, now right-side-up. The black auras around Emi and Yoshi vanished, leaving the girls in a peaceful sleep. Portia blinked as she felt the heat leaving her eyes fully now, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I am never eating spicy food again," she muttered, to everyone else's amusement.

Almost everyone's, that is. Tamora stood off the side, shaking in indignation as she held Ichiko beneath her chin.

"Tamora..." Ariel tried again, stepped towards her. "Tamora, Shylock didn't die because of...because of us. Please believe me. Love is a wonderful, beautiful thing, it does not cause pain-"

"Yes it does." Tamora's voice as quieter than before, but it still held the same amount of fire. _"Yes it does"_, she repeated, and then teleported away.

Ariel sighed quietly, brows lowered in distress. "Tamora..."

* * *

><p>Later in the evening, after Emi and Yoshi had been retrieved from the roof and awoke – with no memory of the recent events – they were seeing each other off.<p>

"School's starting again soon," Emi told the quartet. "I have to get ready for that, at least!"

"Ugh, don't remind us..." Aki groaned.

"Sucks to be you two, huh?" Miho said with a smile.

"Miho!" Coffee hissed from the bag again.

Luckily, Emi and Yoshi didn't seem to hear the fairy, as Yoshi was still speaking. "And I'm going to...I'm going to just keep being loyal to my Emi!"

"But what'll you do about...you?" Hiromi asked, frowning.

Emi and Yoshi smiled warmly at each other, squeezing each other's hands. "...we'll think about what to do _exactly_," Emi said.

"But we will not hide anymore," finished Yoshi. "I don't know what we'll do – if I have to stop being her assistant-"

"Or maybe I can convince my manager to let her stay, just give her less duties."

"No matter what, we'll figure out _something._"

Otome smiled. "I'm happy for you two...You guys stay strong, okay? You're in this together, have each other's backs."

"We will! Thanks, Otome!" Emi said, leaning forward and hugging Otome tightly.

Aki and Hiromi watched as Otome hugged back, yelping as Yoshi and Miho decided to make it a group hug. Then they looked at each other, biting their lower lips.

In this together...

* * *

><p>ED: "Hummingbird" - Mana Ogawa<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "E-Everyone, we have an important announcement!"

Aki: "Hiromi and I...are dating!"

Hiromi: "A-Ah, it feels good to get that off my chest! E-Ehhhh?!"

Aki: "What's wrong, Hiromi?"

Hiromi: "S-Someone put a frog in my school shoes!"

Aki: "Ehhhhh?! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'A Rival?! Hiromi Is A Target!' Let love heal your heart!"


	19. Chapter 19

"Ohhh, who missed me?~ Oh, _who missed me?~_ I bet _you_ did!" Miho cooed as she scratched Pochi between the ears, under the chin, rubbed her nose to his. "Was you a good boy for Nana? Oh, was you?~"

"Hey, Miho, thanks for letting me hang out with you while the others are at school, by the way!"

"No problem. I bet Pochi would love the extra company, wouldn't you, Pochi?"

Otome laughed as she patted Pochi's back. "So he used to be an Usotsuki, huh?"

"Yeah, that's what Lady was saying. I dunno, though, he was super friendly. Isn't that right, Pochi? You was so friendly!"

Otome laughed a bit before her expression hardened. "Hm...so she created an Usotsuki...I wonder how?"

"Hm, you know what I'm wondering?" Miho asked as she finally pulled away from Pochi. "I wonder how Aki and Hiromi are doing at school right now..."

* * *

><p>"Ulp...okay...everyone..."<p>

Aki's hands were shaking slightly as she faced her friends, Hiromi at her side. Both girls were pale and slightly sweaty, but Aki was the one the others were more focused on. Hiromi always looked nervous, Aki rarely did.

"E-Everyone..." Hiromi stammered.

Yuki gave the girls a concerned expression as he reached out to touch Aki's shoulder. "Hey, c'mon, girl...breathe. You okay?" he asked. The people around him, who had gathered when Aki had called over her closer friends but hadn't _said_ anything nor sent them off for about two minutes, nodded in agreement.

Hiromi was finally the one to speak. "A-Aki and I are dating!" she gasped out, eyes squeezing shut as her hands curled into fists.

There was silence. Hiromi could almost hear an odd ringing in her ears, the kind that comes from unnatural quiet and not post-concert.

"Oh. Congrats," Yuki said in an odd tone.

"Yeah, congratulations. What a surprise," said Antoinette.

"Uhm...Most of us figured that out already, you two," Mirai admitted sheepishly.

The rest of the large group nodded.

Aki and Hiromi blinked, wide-eyed. First there was just more silence. And then..._ "Ehhhhh?!"_

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>"You <em>what?!<em>" cried Hiromi, hands curled into fists, a look of distress on her face. "What do you mean you figured it out?! We've been so careful!"

"Er...Hiromi, you and Aki always entered and left the classroom together," Yuki said, scratching behind his neck.

"And you do eat lunch together. And we've seen you and Aki making plans," Mirai said.

"Not to mention how worked up you get as far as the other in concerned," Antoinette said, sniffing a bit as she tossed her hair. "Honestly, anyone could see it."

"Even though _you_ didn't..." Yuki muttered. "Anyway...yeah, sure, you weren't holding hands in the hall or feeding each other, but it was kinda obvious. I mean...I don't think people generally act this familiar or get so worked up over someone who's just a friend..."

Several others nodded in agreement.

Aki sighed and planted her hand on her hips. "Man, and after all this..." she grumbled. Then she smiled, looking around the assembled classmates. "So you're cool with this?"

"Sure. Well, okay, we're a little surprised it's _Satou_ of all people-"

"H-hey!"

"But hey, whatever makes you happy, right? Same for Satou."

Aki beamed. "Well, thanks, everyone! Hiromi, you hear that?" she asked, turning to face her.

Hiromi was pouting at everyone. "You know..." she began nervously. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, face bright red as she shouted "Y-you know, if you'd said something earlier I wouldn't have been panicking so much this morning!"

Almost everyone laughed.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: A Rival?! Hiromi Is A Target!<p>

* * *

><p>It started the next morning.<p>

Hiromi stood at her foot locker, switching out her gym shoes. She didn't really look inside before reaching in, too busy talking to Mirai and Antoinette. Then her hand closed around something slimy and cool.

_"Kyaaaah!"_ she screeched, flailing backwards and landing on her rear.

"Hiromi, what-?" Mirai gasped.

A small green blur flew out of the locker and landed on Hiromi's head, making her scream again. "Get it off of meeee!" she cried.

"Don't hurt it!" Antoinette yelled, running forward. Gently, she scooped the creature off Hiromi's head, sighing in relief as it stared up at her, unhurt. "It's a _frog!"_

"A what?" Aki emerged from a bathroom stall just then, tugging her gym shirt a little. She stared wide-eyed at the frog, then Hiromi, then Mirai, and finally back to Hiromi again. "What was a frog doing in there? Is there more?" she asked, walking over to take a look.

Hiromi shook her head. "N-No, th-that was...th-the only one...I think..."

"Hiromi, I am _so_ sorry!" Mirai gasped, kneeling beside her friend and rubbing her shoulder. "I didn't foresee this, I-"

"N-Not your fault..." Hiromi gasped again, slowly calming down. "Y-You can't see everything, Mirai..."

Aki was still standing at Hiromi's locker, glaring inside as if she expected to see another frog teleport in. "But why," she added, turning around to check on Hiromi. "Would anyone put a frog in there?"

"It's not obvious?" said Antoinette, sighing dramatically. She was fishing out a plastic baggie from her own locker, depositing the frog inside it. As she crossed the room to one of the sinks, she said "Right after you guys make public what was already public? Clearly someone's mad at Hiromi."

"But who'd be upset about that? Who'd be mad at Hiromi?" Aki said, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of water running. "Everyone was cool with this!"

Mirai frowned. "Maybe not..."

* * *

><p>"There you go, Keroppi..." Antoinette murmured, holding the bag underwater and opening it. She smiled as the frog swam out into the little outdoor pond near the sports yard. "I hope you weren't too scared in a dark and tiny locker."<p>

"Antoinette, can you explain something to me?"

"Yes, of course, Yuki."

"Well, I was wondering..." Yuki began in a strained, though polite, voice. _"Why do I have to stand in front of you like this?!"_ He stood back-to-back with Antoinette, his legs bent at the knee and slightly parted, arms held out at his sides. His face was red as he snapped again, "I mean, this is _way_ unnecessary, Antoinette!"

Antoinette heaved another dramatic sigh. "Well, clearly, you're here to protect me in case the ball comes flying over here. It'd be terrible if I were hit in the head, right? You know that could cause a concussion."

"Antoinette, there aren't any goals over here. No one's going to-"

"It's okay, I'm done." Antoinette stood up, drying her hands on Yuki's shirt ("Hey!" he protested) and began jogging back to the field. "Keep an eye on Hiromi, by the way."

"Hah? Sure, whatever."

They easily joined their teams on the field, entering the game. And things were fine for a few minutes; kicking the ball, passing, trying to shoot the goal past Mirai. And then...

"Hey, watch it!" someone shouted.

"Satou!"

Hiromi looked just in time to see the ball come hurtling towards her head. She screamed and instinctively brought her arms in front of herself. The ball smacked her arms _hard_, making her cry out again and stumble back. As the ball dropped harmlessly to the ground, Hiromi hissed in pain, lowering her arms shakily.

"Satou!" the gym teacher shouted as he jogged across the field to her. "You okay?"

"We're sorry!" yelled a pigtailed brunette from the other team.

"I-I...ah!" Hiromi looked at her arms. There were two large, angry red marks on her skin where the ball had hit. She whimpered again as the teacher held her arms gently, looking over them.

"Nothing appears to be broken, but go see the nurse just to be sure. Tell her to put some ice on those, too! Jeez," he muttered, straightening and ruffling her hair a bit. "Good blocking though. If it'd hit your head..." He then frowned, turning to look out at the other team. "Okay, so I definitely saw someone in the red team kick that! Blue team gets a penalty!"

"I'll go with her!" Aki cried, walking up to Hiromi and putting an arm around her shoulders.

The two walked off the field as the red team erupted into groaning protests.

Antoinette was staring at their retreating forms, a hardened look on her face.

* * *

><p>"Tamora? Are you going out again?" Riche asked in mild surprise.<p>

Tamora stood at the door, holding Ichiko in her arms like a lifeline. Her arms trembled slightly as she spoke. "Yeah..."

Riche frowned. He walked up to her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. Tamora tensed beneath his grip, but made no move to shake him off. "Tamora...I know you're angry at Pretty Cure. I know you want to destroy them, and that's good. Believe me, it is. But...I simply cannot believe I'm saying this," he muttered before raising his voice and saying "Tamora, I _worry_ about you sometimes."

There was no response.

"Lady has told me Break is working on something new. Something to make us stronger in battle. Until it's ready, don't attack. Please?"

Tamora stood there silently. Finally, she heaved a sigh, nuzzling the top of Ichiko's head. "Can I attack first?"

"It depends on what Break wants."

"...fine."

* * *

><p>Hiromi flopped down on Miho's steps with a loud sigh. "Ahn...my luck couldn't have gotten any worse..." she mumbled. It was after school, and the red marks were slowly fading from Hiromi's arms. She rubbed one tiredly as Aki patted her on the back.<p>

Miho knelt in front of her, her expression one of concern. "Jeez...you think that was an accident?"

"Probably," Hiromi said. "I mean...the teacher said he doubted it was, but it must have been, right? I mean, I mean who'd want to do that on purpose?" Her nervous tone lapsed into giggles as Pochi licked her cheek, apparently having read her mood.

"Antoinette thinks it was deliberate – well, not the ball, we didn't stick around to talk to her about that, but she thinks the frog was, so it stands to reason..." Aki muttered.

"Well, it's _terrible!_" Coffee blurted out from her position on Otome's shoulder. She and Ti had spent the whole day with Miho and Otome, wanting to be with the lost Cure more. To make up for lost time, and all that. Her little face turned red as she curled her paws into little fists. "To try to hurt someone on purpose, for such a silly reason..."

"That'd never happen in Kokoro, datchu!"

"A-Ahaha, I'm sure you're over-reacting!" Hiromi said with a nervous laugh, waving her hand dismissively. "Really, ah...I'm sure the thing with the ball was an accident. And that frog could have wandered in by accident!"

Otome fixed Hiromi with a deadpan look. "Hiromi, I can tell right now: You are far too nice and trusting."

The blonde turned red. "Ah...I'm sure it's nothing, though," she said again. "It'll all be okay, tomorrow!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't.<p>

Hiromi stood at her desk, staring at the message scribbled onto it. _'Stay away from Oshiro!'_ it read in harsh, dark marker.

"What the heck is this? Some nighttime tv drama?!" Antoinette demanded, her hands on her hips in anger.

Mirai bit her lower lip. "I – I foresaw some trouble but I didn't think- Oh, Hiromi, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine..." Hiromi said with a small, sad smile. She set down her bag and went to the sink to wash it off. "I'll just clean it."

"It's _not_ fine!" Aki snapped angrily. She turned to look at the rest of the classroom, but unfortunately only a handful of people were there, and they all looked just as horrified as they did. "Did anyone here see anything?!" When the answer was a chorus of _No_'s, she let out an angry growl and stormed to the sink. "I'm cleaning this, Hiromi, not you!"

"A-Ah, no, really, it's fine-"

Just then Mrs Matoko walked in, cramming the last of her toast into her mouth. "Hey, guys. So my alarm went off early so I took an earlier train. And- _What the hell happened to Satou's desk?!"_ she said, face turning red.

"It's okay, ma'am, I'm taking care of it-"

"No, you most certainly are not!" Mrs Matoko snapped again, glaring around the room. Some students entered just then, clearly confused by both the sight of their teacher being so angry and at Hiromi's desk. A few of them began whispering before Mrs Matoko spoke again. "Alright. Whoever did this, step up! Right now – you're the one who wrote it, you're the one cleaning her desk off!"

No one moved.

"Alright then. Satou, step aside." Mrs Matoko strode forward, pushing up her sleeves as if she were about to butcher a pig, and snatched the sponge and soap from Hiromi. _"I'm_ doing it." When there were collective cries against this, she added "Nope! Nope, sorry, one of my students has had her desk vandalized, and I am not going to let her clean up someone else's hurtful actions. If no one's stepping up to clean it off, _I_ am."

"Mrs Matoko-"

_"No,"_ she said firmly, furiously scrubbing away at Hiromi's desk. "Ah, Nanase, you were just in the bathroom, right?" she added as another girl stepped in, rubbing her hands. "Go back and get me some paper towels."

As the teacher kept working, and the girl went to do as she asked, Hiromi just stood there, fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. She felt her face burning in embarrassment and shame – this was her desk, she ought to clean it...And while she understood Mrs Matoko's intentions, she felt as if it were drawing _more_ attention onto her. She felt Aki squeeze her hand as everyone started to go back to their desks, and she smiled at her. Their friends were smiling reassuringly too.

But it still bothered her. Who would do this to her?

Antoinette frowned, unnoticed.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was no better. Whoever had written on her desk had apparently planned a lot more than that.<p>

Hiromi found one of her schoolbooks had a message - _Stay away!_ - on the inside; her lunch disappeared right out of her bag sometime during free time (which turned out okay-ish, as all four of her friends decided to share some of their own); she found yet _another_ frog in her gym shoes, much to Antoinette's great disapproval; and the whole day...

Well, this was harder to explain but the entire day, Hiromi swore she felt eyes on her.

She shuddered and rubbed the back of her neck, as if to dispel those feelings somehow. But it just persisted.

The bell rang for everyone to go home, and Mrs Matoko began announcing cleaning duty. "Alright, so today we have Satou, Hojo, and Nanase." She frowned. "Satou, you think you'll be alright?"

Hiromi turned red and nodded, slumping in her seat a bit as the class turned her way. "Y-Yes, of course! I'll be fine, it's just cleaning!"

"That's not what-" Mrs Matoko sighed, then went on. "Alright then. Satou, Hojo, Nanase, please clean up our classroom." With that, she gathered her things and left with the rest of the class.

Hojo, a boy with short-cropped brown hair, moaned in an exaggerated way. "Gah, why do I have to clean? I wanted to play the new arcade games..."

A shadow fell across his desk. "I'll switch places with you, Hojo..."

"Hah?" He looked up, smiling gratefully at his classmate. "Seriously? Ah, thanks a ton, Rayne."

Antoinette smiled, tilting her head a little. "It'd be my pleasure~"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner. _

* * *

><p>Hiromi stood near a corner of the room, idly sweeping up a few scraps that had fallen from the paper-cutter. Nearby, two other girls worked – Antoinette mopping nearby, another girl (Nanase, Hiromi reminded herself) wiping the blackboard.<p>

The blonde girl sighed a bit as she recalled her conversation with Aki, before she left.

* * *

><p><em>"I dunno, Hiromi. After what's happened, I think I should stick around." Aki stood in the doorway, frowning as Hiromi tried to push her out. "Hiromi, really, I-!"<em>

_"Aki." Hiromi's tone was firm despite herself. She looked up into her girlfriend's eyes, a serious expression on her face. "I'll be fine...You have nothing to do with this."_

_"That note had my name in there!"_

_"I can handle it! You don't need to worry about me all the time, Aki. You don't have to try to protect me all the time. It's just cleaning, I'll be **fine."**_

_Aki bit her lower lip, frowning harder. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hiromi silenced her with a mere look. Finally, she sighed. "Alright...But you know, Miho and Otome were going to join us at the mall, so we'll all three be waiting outside."_

Yeah...Yeah, the mall. They were going to have another girls' day out. Otome hadn't gone to a mall yet, so Miho had wanted to take her. They were going to get her some new clothes, so she wouldn't have to wear one of Aki's spare dresses. And then later, they would see a movie, and she and Aki would get to sit by themselves so it'd be more like a date. That'd be fun.

She laughed a little, blushing pink.

Nanase, a brunette with pigtails, smiled as she looked up from the blackboard. "You seem happy."

"Hah?!" Hiromi squeaked, realizing someone had heard her. She laughed sheepishly, gently spinning the broom in her hands. "W-Well, yeah, I have plans after school that I'm looking forward to."

"Ah, yes! With Oshiro, right? Since you're girlfriends?" Nanase giggled.

Hiromi blushed deeper. "Y-Yeah..."

"It's weird, Satou! I would think with all that was happening, you'd have broken up or something."

"Huh? Why would we?"

Nanase frowned a bit, pursing her lips. "Well...Well, I mean, there was that scary message on your desk...and you looked scared when you opened your book, so I guess there was something scary in there too...And the frogs, I heard you screaming about them. Your lunch turned out okay but...But how do you know whoever is doing this won't come up with something worse? They're obviously doing it so you and Oshiro will break up..."

Hiromi tightened her grip on the broom as she looked at her shoes, biting her lower lip. Behind her, Antoinette had stiffened slightly, pausing in her mopping.

Nanase kept going. "I mean...I'd be so scared! Oshiro is a really popular girl, we called her the princess once! Lots of people must like her – boys, girls...Anyone could be doing this. Or maybe it's several people! And if it were me, I'd stop dating Oshiro right away, save myself from further humiliation."

Hiromi fidgeted with the broom.

"Don't you think so?"

"I..." Hiromi started. Then she straightened, exhaling deeply. "No."

"Haaaah?" Nanase blinked, turning bodily from the board to face Hiromi. Antoinette's tense form continued to go unnoticed. "Really?"

"Well...yeah..." Hiromi smiled.

* * *

><p>Aki stepped outside, joining the others.<p>

Otome frowned. "You okay, Aki?"

"Y-Yeah..." Aki murmured, running a hand through her hair. "I dunno how I feel about leaving Hiromi by herself though, after all that's happened..."

"Hey, Hiromi's a big girl! She can take care of herself, right?" asked Miho, hands behind her head. "We can't treat her like glass."

"But-!"

"Aki," said Coffee, smiling gently. "It's just cleaning duty. She'll be fine."

"...if you say so..." Aki murmured. And with that, she stood quietly with the others to wait.

* * *

><p>"I mean...I knew Aki was popular," Hiromi was saying, smiling shyly at her shoes. "But of course that's not why I like her, or why we're dating. And I kinda knew there might be trouble when we decided to make this public. It turned out to be a lot less trouble than I thought there would be but...<p>

But still. I really care about Aki. She makes me very happy, and I won't let myself be scared off by someone who's bullying me, just because they're upset about our relationship. Besides, it can't last forever. Sooner or later, they'll give up – they'll see that I'm _not_ giving up.

"I like Aki a lot...Why should I break up with her just because someone's harassing me? That'd hurt us both, and..." She frowned. "And really, if someone is resorting to such measures to make us break up, how would they treat Aki? Of course I won't break up with her!"

_"I would treat Oshiro just fine!"_

Hiromi blinked, staring at the one who'd spoken.

Nanase stood there, red-faced and trembling, the dirty washcloth clenched tightly in her hand. "I would treat Oshiro fine!" she repeated.

Hiromi blinked again. "Wait...Nanase, you were the one who-"

"You're such an _idiot!_" Nanase snapped, eyes squeezing shut. "Why would Oshiro even _like_ you? You're just – look at you!" She threw her arm out at Hiromi, gesturing to her. "You're plain and boring and frumpy and the uniform doesn't look cute on you like it does on Oshiro, and she can pick anyone she wants, so why of all people does she pick you?! I bet you don't even like her! You only dated her because she's cute and popular and rich! That's what girls like you go after, right?! And Oshiro only dated you because she felt sorry for you, I bet! You know, she could have dated me! She probably should have! Anyone but you, you...you ugly, spineless _weakling!"_

_SLAP!_

Nanase blinked in surprise, her face stinging.

Hiromi stood in front of her, arm raised, expression furious. "Don't you _dare_ say those things again, Nanase," she said. "You have no _right."_

Nanase blinked again, and tried to recover, forcing a laugh as she touched her face. "Ahaha! No right! No right, she says, yeah, sure! This just proves you're no good for Oshiro! You're so violent while I can get things without resorting to such-"

_SPLOOSH!_

Now it was Hiromi's turn to blink, as Nanase stood dripping wet and sputtering, wiping her eyes. Beside her stood Antoinette, casually holding up her mop bucket, a look of distaste on her face. "Oh, I'm _sorry,"_ she said in a slight sing-song voice. "But I thought you might appreciate me taking care of that filthy personality of yours."

_"How dare you?!"_ Nanase whirled around to face Antoinette. "You of all people should be on my side, Rayne! You used to-"

"Shut up!" Antoinette snapped before Nanase could finish. "Look, you uncouth brat, _your_ feelings aren't the important ones here! Aki's are, and so are those of her girlfriend. If Aki's happy, then you should have been happy too!"

"Antoinette..." Hiromi mumbled in awe, eyes shining a bit. Then she schooled her expression back into a serious one, hands on her hips – briefly wincing as the broom clattered unceremoniously to the ground. "Nanase. I don't mind if you have a crush on Aki. I bet lots of people do. But I'm not going to stand around and let you try to scare me away from her! If she someday wants to break up, okay. But I don't see that happening anytime soon, and I'm never going to get scared away because...Because _you're just too jealous to deal with it!"_

As she shouted the last part, something odd happened. Her Cure Signet flashed bright pink, tiny golden sparkles dancing above it like dust in a sunbeam. Hiromi blinked – not from the miniature light show, but from the odd feeling she got inside her chest. Like her heart was stronger and lighter at once, like there was hope and love and power surging tenfold. Like...

"Hiromi?"

She blinked again; the light, and the feeling, vanished abruptly.

"Aki!" gasped Antoinette.

Aki, Miho, and Otome all stood in the doorway, staring at the scene before them. Half-hidden behind Otome's hair, Coffee and Ti were staring straight at Hiromi's Cure Signet with wide, astonished eyes. As for Aki, she was frowning as she noticed Nanase dripping wet. "You were taking a while...so we came to see how much longer it'd take. What the heck was going _on_ in here?"

Nanase's face crumpled as she started whining a bit. Antoinette just scoffed and placed a hand on Hiromi's shoulder.

* * *

><p>"M-My brother catches frogs, so I snuck some of out of his aquarium. He just catches them for fun and lets them out the next day or so, he wouldn't miss them! A-And I drew on Satou's desk with the marker, but some of it got on my hand, so that's why I was in the bathroom. I was washing it off. And I'm the one who kicked the ball at her during gym, and I took her lunch a-and..." Nanase couldn't speak anymore, her fists covering her mouth as she began to cry. "But I was just so mad that Oshiro was with <em>Satou<em> of all people and-"

"Enough," Mrs Matoko said firmly.

It was about ten minutes later, and they were standing in the teacher's lounge. Mrs Matoko had fortunately not left yet, wanting to get the last few donuts, and everyone had walked with Nanase down tot he room. When Nanase said she had to tell the teacher something, Mrs Matoko sent the others to the hall while she and Nanase spoke with the door shut.

Mrs Matoko was still sitting, but she still looked rather intimidating as she glowered up at the trembling girl. "Regardless of how you feel about the situation, you shouldn't have reacted the way you did. Did you know what what you were doing was bullying? Harassment, Nanase? You can get into _huge_ trouble for this – do you want me to phone your parents? Do I need to put a mark in your records about this incident?"

"N-No..." Nanase sniffled. "I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

"Quite right," Mrs Matoko said. She stared up at the girl a few moments longer, contemplating. "Alright. This time, I will not call your parents or mark your records - _but!_" she added when Nanase gave her a hopeful look. "This is a _warning._ If I _ever_ hear of you bullying another student, I will mark the incident _and_ this one, and I will call your parents. Is that understood?"

Nanase nodded.

"For now, you have three days of after-school detention. You will handle the classroom clean-up by yourself, and tomorrow after the dismissal bell, I want you to scrub _all_ the desks in the classroom, since you didn't clean Satou's."

"Y-Yes, ma'am..."

* * *

><p>"Thanks, Antoinette," Hiromi said to the blonde. "For earlier..."<p>

"Don't mention it."

"I mean...I didn't think you'd do that for me...You liked Aki, too, right?" Hiromi said. "So I thought-"

"Hiromi." Antoinette gave her a deadpan stare, tossing her curls over her shoulder. "Just because I may still have a little...thing, for Aki – which I assure you, I _will_ get over – does not mean I would stoop so low as to bully her girlfriend. Honestly..." She smiled softly then. "I was watching out for you though...I've seen this before, in the school I attended in France. I think I might've made you a bit suspicious, looking at you and staying to clean with you, but trust me, it...well, never mind. But I appreciate your gratitude. If you'll excuse me, though, I think Bitsy's eager for a snack, and I'm later as it is. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Antoinette!" Hiromi called as the other girl skipped down the stairs.

Miho ran to the stairs, cupped her hands around her mouth, and called down. "Antoinette, just admit you care about Hiromi~!"

"You be quiet, you don't even go here!" an embarrassed Antoinette shouted back, much to the others' amusement.

But things weren't over just yet.

"Ahm...e-everyone?"

Pretty Cure turned to face Nanase, who stood a few feet away from them. She was still wet, but no longer dripping a little puddle onto the floor. She did, however, still look mighty embarrassed and ashamed, twisting her fingers as her face turned red.

"I ah...want to apologize again! I was just so angry that Oshiro had been dating Satou, and I wanted it to be me! I won't bully you again, so please, uhm..."

Everyone looked to Hiromi.

Hiromi glanced around the group, wide-eyed and pointing to herself. Oh...Oh, this was-! She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath... "I forgive you...but I don't like you."

Nanase blinked.

"I mean...you've been nothing but mean to me, for a silly reason. I'll forgive you, and I'll be courteous to you, but we're not going to be friends. I hope you understand where I'm coming from, Nanase."

"Y-Yeah...And uhm, Oshiro-"

"Nanase. You bullied my _girlfriend,_" Aki said. "I'm going to take a lot longer to forgive you, if I do at all."

"Same for me," said Miho.

"Me as well," said Otome.

And with that, the four turned and walked down the stairs.

* * *

><p>"You really don't forgive her, datchu?" asked Ti.<p>

"Ti, there's a lesson here," said Aki. "You don't _have_ to forgive those who hurt you. You don't have to be nice to them. You shouldn't hurt them back...but you shouldn't just accept friendship from someone who was mean to you and will probably do it again."

Ti thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

"By the way," began Otome. "I at first thought it was a trick of the light, but Hiromi, did you see your Cure Signet?"

"Yeah..." Hiromi frowned and lifted her hand. "What was that about?"

Coffee's next words made everyone freeze. _"Lovely Form~"_

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Coffee: "Lovely Form, Lovely Form!"

Hiromi: "You keep saying that, but we don't know what that even is!"

Otome: "I've heard of this! Lovely Form is two hundred percent power, love, courage!"

Miho: "Ooooh, awesome!"

Aki: "Hiromi, get Lovely Form!"

Hiromi: "Y-You say that like it's easy but-! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'The River Is Rising! Lovely Form!' Let love heal your heart!"


	20. Chapter 20

_Seven-year-old Hiromi ran up the dirt path through the woods, laughing at how the dappled sunlight made her look. At the top of the path, she turned around, nearly falling down as the heavy backpack she wore almost unbalanced her. Once she regained her footing, she held one hand above her head and waved at her family below._

_"C'mon, c'mon!" she called out. "Huwwy up!"_

_"Hiromi, we're going as fast as we can," Daisuke laughed._

_"Huwwy faster! I wanna eeeaaat! I wanna play!" Hiromi called back down. "I wanna play with Daddy!"_

_"Aw, Hiromi..." Daisuke chuckled as he reached her, bending down to pick her up. Effortlessly, he lifted her up high and set her on his shoulders. "What do you wanna play?"_

_"Hide'n'seek! Tag! King of the Mountain!"_

_"Hiromi, you always pick first, let us pick!" yelled Kiyomi._

_Everyone laughed, Hiromi grabbing fistfuls of her dad's hair as she rested her chin on top of his head._

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>"Alright, girls and sir! Is everyone ready?"<p>

"Yes, ma'am!" chorused the Satou family.

Emi paced back and forth in front of her lookalikes and father, looking them up and down. All of them were in shorts and tank-tops, the ladies had their hair pulled back, and Daisuke was carrying a cooler in his hands. Emi stopped in front of Hatsumi, frowned and leaned forward. "Hat, you're not wearing sunscreen," she said.

"Agh...but it's so _oily._ And it's still morning, the sun's not even its brightest yet!"

"Remember last year's trip?" Emi raised an eyebrow.

Kiyomi snickered. "You looked like a lobster..."

"We had to draw a cold bath and have you sit in there, all day long," Harumi said.

Daisuke wordlessly held out a bottle of sunscreen; Hatsumi took it begrudgingly and began slathering it on her arms.

"Hiromi! Are you ready?" Emi called up the stairs.

"How come she doesn't need inspection?!" Hatsumi cried.

"Hiromi's responsible," Kiyomi said. "She's probably already taken care of everything."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, everyone, but I <em>did<em> tell you!" Hiromi said into her cellphone. She sat on her bed, backpack on her lap as she rubbed the last bit of sunscreen on her nose.

"But Hi-ro-miiii!" Coffee wailed from the other end. "What about Lovely Form?!"

"E-Eh..." Hiromi scratched her cheek awkwardly.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: The River Is Rising! Lovely Form!<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Lovely Form, Lovely Form, Hiromi almost had Lovely Form~!" Coffee cheered as she spun Ti around by his paws. Ti didn't seem to mind at least, laughing and trying to keep up with Coffee's energy.<em>

_Hiromi huffed, face turning pink in her flustered state. "You keep **saying** that, but what **is** that?"_

_Otome looked excited, her hands on her cheeks. "Ohhh, I heard of this! When you've gained enough power, enough strength of heart, you get a new, more powerful form! Lovely Form!" She laughed the last part, grabbing Coffee by one paw and Ti by one of his, the three of them spinning around as if playing Ring Around the Rosie. "Ahhh, Hiromi, you're so lucky! I never reached Lovely Form! Not a lot of threats outside the occasional petty thief in Kokoro, not until..." Her face briefly darkened, but then just as quick she smiled, releasing Coffee and Ti to clasp Hiromi's hands. "Congratulations, Hiromi~!"_

_"Ooooh, a new form! How exciting – it's just like a **toku!"** Miho squealed._

_"Congratulations, Hiromi!" Aki cheered._

_Hiromi, who had been looking more and more distressed as the talking went on, finally managed to speak. And what she said was..._

_**"Ehhhhhhhhh?!"**_

_"Alright, Punch and Ariel know a little more than I do," Coffee explained, after everyone had settled down. They all sat in a semi-circle on the floor of Aki's room, Ti sitting on Otome's shoulder as she scratched between his ears. "But since the mirror broke, we can't really contact Punch right now..." Her own expression darkened for a moment, her paws coming together in concern. After a few moments, however, she made herself smile again, and lifted her head to look back at the others. "But anyway! I can give the basics, and Otome can fill in the blanks!_

_"Ah-he-hem~" Coffee cleared her throat, trying to look important. "Lovely Form is two hundred percent power, two hundred percent courage, two hundred percent love-"_

_"That's a lot of two hundreds," Miho whispered._

_"Sh!" said Aki._

_"The strength of one's heart and character is the key to achieving it! When you fight for someone you love very deeply, ta-daaaa, Lovely Form~!" Coffee spread her arms out at the last few words, moving her paws side to side a bit. "And Hiromi almost had it! I bet the only reason it didn't work was because you weren't transformed. Or maybe it doesn't work when you stand up for **yourself...?** Hm, but it was for Aki's sake too..." She trailed off into a string of mutterings, tapping her paws together in thought._

_Hiromi just stared, rubbing her arm nervously._

_Otome smiled, reaching over to pat Hiromi's shoulder. "Look, just don't worry about it," she said. "It'll happen again; just don't **try** for it, you know what I mean? Don't worry about it too much."_

_"Y-yeah..."_

* * *

><p>"Otome said it herself, I shouldn't think too hard about it..." Hiromi mumbled, twisting a lock of hair between her fingers. <em>Easier said that done.<em> "And besides – today my family and I are going on our picnic, like we do every year! I can't miss this and disappoint my family."

"But Hiromiiiii-!" Coffee began to wail before there was a sudden yell in the background and a brief clatter. Hiromi winced as it sounded like the phone had clattered to the ground, and someone said _Gimme the phone!_ in the background.

"Yo, Hiromi!" Miho's voice came from the other side, over Coffee's tinny protests. "Yeah, what Otome said! Don't worry, just chill, and hey, have fun on your trip!"

Otome's voice could be heard in the background, as if she was leaning towards the phone. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"Not far," Hiromi said, smiling a little as she felt herself relax. "You know that forest area nearer the edge of town? We're just going over there, and we should be back later this evening."

"Ahhh, have fun, Hiromi! Hm, oh hang – Coffee, no, you can't have the phone! Coffe- M-Miho, grab her!"

"I can't, I'm holding the-!"

"Aki!"

"I got her! Hiromi, don't worry about Lovely Form, just have fun on your trip okay bye!"

And then there was just a dial tone. Hiromi giggled behind her hand as she hit the 'call end' button and pocketed her phone. Good timing, too, because Emi was yelling for her from downstairs. "Okay, I'm coming!" she called back, running out of her room.

* * *

><p>"It's finished!" Lady smiled sweetly, holding out her creation. As Riche and Tamora stared blankly at them, Lady went on. "Break was very generous with the time I was allowed to create these! This will surely help us-"<p>

"Eh...what are they, though?" asked Tamora, hand raised as if she was in school. "I mean, they're jewelry, obviously, but..."

They were indeed jewelry. In Lady's hands were two brooches; large black, heart-shaped jewels with rose-gold setting. That was all there was to them, nothing special or fancy at all really.

But Lady still held them as if they were the most precious of gems. "They're Heartbreak Brooches. They'll increase both the Usotsuki power and the level of despair we gather for the River." At those words, they all looked out the window and down below.

The River Despair was still churning and frothing, and much higher than it was before this whole mess with Pretty Cure had started. Now the water was lapping at the edges of the bank; one would have wet feet before they stepped foot in the actual river itself, if they were inclined to go towards it.

"We're close to flooding the world in despair," Lady continued. "And these will help us get to our goal that much faster."

"Oh, _darling!_" Riche gasped, hugging Lady tight and spinning her around. "You're a genius!"

"Thank you, dear," Lady smiled.

"I wanna try it first." Tamora held Ichiko in one arm and reached for a Heartbreak Brooch with her now-free hand. She clipped the brooch to the front of her dress, right beneath the brooch she was already wearing. The effect looked a bit silly, but Tamora didn't care.

"Give it a test run, first, Tamora," Lady said with a mild frown. "Don't use it in such a populated area just yet; I want to see how it will affect the user first."

"Fine, fine..." Tamora sighed, waving her hand. "Do a field test then. I got it."

* * *

><p>"Are we theeeeere yeeeet?"<p>

"Hatsumi, we've only just started walking! You do this every year!" Kiyomi snapped.

"I'm not used to walking long distances! All my classes are too close together!" Hatsumi said.

The Satou family had pulled the car over by the side of the road, and was now walking the uphill dirt path through the woods. Daisuke was leading the way, and his five daughters trailed after him like ducklings. He ignored Kiyomi and Hatsumi's bickering and kept walking; Hiromi running to catch up with him.

"Hi, Dad!" Hiromi said, smiling.

Daisuke chuckled. "Yes, hi, Hiromi." He looked over his shoulder at the still-squabbling girls – now Harumi and Emi were trying to calm them down. "They should keep this up for another two minutes."

Hiromi giggled. "Did you remember the caramel cakes?"

"Harumi would have my head if I didn't."

"Orange soda?"

"Absolutely."

"My ham and cheese?"

Daisuke blinked, the smile vanishing from his face. "Oh...Hiromi..."

"Wh-what?!" Hiromi went pale, stumbling in her walk and having to lean against a tree for support. "D-Dad, you know that's my favorite sandwich! You remembered everyone else's favorites but you forgot about-"

"Oh, Hiromi, that was the first thing I prepared this morning," Daisuke said, grinning toothily at his youngest. He laughed as Hiromi heaved a sigh of relief and rested a hand on her chest. "Hiromi, hon, it's okay. I remembered everything. I remember every year."

"I know...but I couldn't help but asking, because what if you do forget someday? And what if you forget Emi's cupcakes? Or Kiyomi's juice boxes? Or the salmon rolls or what if we forgot the way to our spot and got lost or-"

"Hiromi!" Daisuke cried. "Hiromi, stop, you're turning blue in the face! Sweetie, I'm not going to forget anything. I remember everything you girls like, everything on this walk, and in our spot." His expression softened a bit, the sunlight catching his glasses. "There's a lot of memories, huh?"

"...yeah." Hiromi smiled softly, eyes forward. "Hey, remember last year, when Hatsumi grabbed the wrong spray can and covered herself in spray-butter instead of mosquito repellent?"

Daisuke laughed. "And she didn't notice until an hour later, and tried to wash it off with bottled water!"

"I can hear you!" came Hatsumi's voice from behind them, making the two laugh harder.

"And we played lots of games, too!" Hiromi added. "I was the best at hide-and-seek, remember? No one could ever find me!"

* * *

><p><em>"Daddy!" Hiromi cried, tugging on Daisuke's sleeve after they finished lunch. "Daddy, play hide-and-seek with me! Please?!"<em>

_"Hiromi, we have to pack the food back up!" Emi said._

_"After that?" _

_Daisuke laughed at Hiromi's enthusiasm, ruffling her hair. "After that, Hiromi. Okay?"_

_"Yeah!"_

* * *

><p>They reached the picnic site, a large clearing near the top of the large hill. From this spot, one could see a good portion of the town. There was a small barbecue pit in the ground, and a few picnic tables off to the side.<p>

Kiyomi took the cooler from Daisuke and set it on one of the tables, and began unpacking the food. "Alriiight, I am starving!"

"Your boyfriend won't like it if you eat too much, you know," Hatsumi muttered, poking Kiyomi in the side.

"Hahaaaaa, no he won't, I don't care, bite me~" Kiyomi said in a sing-song voice.

The others laughed, Hiromi covering her mouth. As she lowered her hand and gazed around the site, her smile softened a little. There really were lots of memories here...

Herself and her dad playing hide-and-seek.

Emi teaching her how to roast the perfect marshmallow.

Her sisters each grabbing a corner of a blanket and tossing her high into the air.

There had been another time, when Hiromi had climbed a tree to get her kite back down and been unable to get down herself, that Daisuke climbed up after her. He'd slid his hands under her arms and lowered her down to her sisters; as Hiromi wailed and kicked and begged him not to drop her, he had told her: "I am never going to drop you, Hiromi. I'm never going to let you down." He had laughed a little at his terrible joke, but he'd still meant it.

"Hiromi," the Daisuke of the present said. "Could you get some wood from out there?" he asked, pointing into the forest. "I brought hot dogs for us, and I bet they'd taste much better over a fire than a grill.

Hiromi's smile widened, eyes brightening. "Yeah, okay! I'll be back soon, everyone!" she called, walking into the woods.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Hiromi sang softly as she walked, gathering dry sticks and larger pieces of fallen branches into her arms. "Over the hill, 'cross the stream, through the tunnel we'll go..."<p>

She stood up, pausing in her song to look around herself. Hiromi had gone a little deeper than Daisuke had perhaps wanted her to, but it was...nice here. And sometimes it was just really nice to be able to take a walk, escape the energy of her sisters for a while. She'd have to go back to them soon, so she should savor a little peace and quiet while she could.

This wasn't the first time she'd gone far into the woods, she remembered somberly as she took a few more steps forward, picking up more sticks on her way. She'd been seven...

"A test run, a test run...this ought to be a good enough spot, right?"

Hiromi froze. She knew that voice!

Dropping her bundle, Hiromi slowly inched forward, hopping a small stream and peering through the trees. In a slightly emptier part of the forest stood Tamora, hands on her hips as she glanced around, her back to Hiromi. When Tamora spoke again, Hiromi could practically _hear_ her smile. "Welp! It's a good place to go wild!"

Go wild...? No way! That meant-! "Tamora!" Hiromi gasped.

Tamora whirled around, blinking in surprise. "Pretty Cure?! What are you doing all the way out here?" Tamora said, smacking her forehead and squinting her eyes shut. Then, half to herself, she muttered "Jeez, I swear, you girls just follow me everywhere I go!"

"I'm pretty sure I was here first..." Hiromi mumbled sheepishly, lifting her hand a bit.

"Regardless! This is perfect! Just perfect!" Tamora said, laughing as she went on. "I needed to test this thing out anyway, and now there's a Cure here! Alone! I can kill two birds with one stone!"

"But there's no one here for you to take despair from!" Hiromi protested.

Tamora's smile turned steely. "Lady says that shouldn't even matter..."

Quickly, Tamora pulled out her Heartbreak Marker and drew a slashed heart in the air. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come out, Usotsuki!"

What happened next was unlike any of the previous times. The symbol did shoot for its target – this time, a small rabbit that had been hiding several feet away from Hiromi – and like always, struck it on the chest. But this time, the Heartbreak Brooch on Tamora's chest pulsed with a black and purple aura. Tamora grit her teeth and held her hands on either side of the brooch, arching her back a little as the aura consumed her as well.

There was a flash of purple light, and when it faded, there was a large, black Usotsuki in the shape of a rabbit-like monster. It stood on two legs, its arms were longer and had razor-sharp claws on its paws, the eyes and mouth were the same angry red as the other Usotsuki before it.

But this time, gruesomely enough, there was Tamora, fused to the creature's middle. Her arms were sunken into the Usotsuki up to the shoulders, her legs up to the knees. Her head hung limply for a second before snapping up, her eyes opening to reveal they were glowing bright red with black pupils. _"I am an Usotsuki!"_ she shrieked, an animalistic roar beneath her normal voice, distorting and warping it. _"Despair!"_

Hiromi could see dark auras all around her. That was when it hit her: she was in the woods. Surrounded by animals. Tamora was taking despair from the animals!

_"Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world~!"_

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, and actually seemed to _boil_ as it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

"Tamora...!" Hiromi grit her teeth.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song! The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

Capulet launched herself at Tamora, summoning her Rapier Wand in a flash of light.

Tamora didn't appear to move her own, unseen, arms. Instead, the rabbit monster swung out a large, shaggy arm, claws out. Capulet tucked her legs up to avoid it, but in a flash, the monster swung the other arm, catching her by the side. As Capulet was sent flying into the brush, Tamora opened her mouth to laugh.

What came out was a triumphant roar.

"Ngh..." Capulet winced as she stood back up. She'd landed right in a thorn bush, a few thorns scratching her skin and making tiny punctures in her clothes. A long scratch was on her face, near one of her eyes, and a few of the bush's leaves were clinging painfully to her. On top of all that, her side hurt from where Tamora had struck her.

But the animals...and her family too, they would also be in danger. If she let Tamora continue like this, they'd all be in trouble! "Capulet Kick!" she screamed, charging forward and jumping into the air. She drove her heel into Tamora's side before Tamora could stop her; her opponent stumbled a bit, but ultimately regained balance and swatted Capulet again just as she landed back on the ground.

Capulet was sent rolling downhill a bit, falling through several smaller bushes before slamming against a tree. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her, but had no time to try to recover. Tamora was charging down the hill, roaring and raising an arm to claw at her. Capulet shrieked and dove aside; as Tamora ended up slicing a tree in half, Capulet tried to run and catch her breath at once.

"Not so fast!" Tamora yelled, swiping at Capulet from behind. The Cure fell forward again with a loud scream.

* * *

><p>At the picnic site, Kiyomi was setting up the paper plates and utensils. "Hey, should I set one for Hiromi right now, or wait til she comes back?" she asked.<p>

"Ah, Hiromi won't take too long. She's probably on her way back right now," said Hatsumi.

Daisuke opened his mouth to speak, but then paused. Unnoticed by his daughters, he turned his head towards the forest, listening intently.

"Hey, Emi, toss me some more repellent!"

"Here, Harumi!"

"Girls, sh..." Daisuke muttered.

Emi looked towards him, frowning. "Dad, what's-"

"Sh!" Daisuke said again, throwing his arm out.

There was a rustling in the bushes, not too far from where the Satou family had gathered. Daisuke stood tense, his arm held out at his side as he frowned intensely. The rustling grew louder, and there was a rumbling growl underneath that sound.

"Go back down to the car," Daisuke said. No one moved. _"Now."_

Emi grabbed Kiyomi's hand and started to lead her out of the picnic site, down towards the path. "C-Come on, girls-"

"Don't run or it'll chase you," Daisuke warned. "But hurry!"

Another, distant roar incited the girls to go faster, not quite running but certainly not walking either. Daisuke didn't follow, instead going towards the forest, looking around as he moved past the thorn bushes. "Hiromi?" he called, trying not to raise his voice too much. "Hiromi, are you here?!"

* * *

><p><em>The sun was setting, and the air was cold. Daisuke hugged his coat tighter around himself, a hand cupped around his mouth. "Hiromi!" he called into the green. "Hiromi, are you here?!"<em>

_There was no answer._

* * *

><p>"Hiromiiii!" Daisuke yelled this time, not caring if whatever else was there heard him.<p>

Someone – his youngest daughter, he realized suddenly – screamed.

"Hiromi!" Daisuke began running.

* * *

><p>Capulet was thrown back at high speed, a sharp cry escaping her as her back slammed against a tree and broke it in two.<p>

"This is great!" yelled Tamora. "I'm stronger than ever, more despair is being collected, and...and guess what?" she laughed. "Guess what? As long as this battle goes on, the River Despair floods even more! The world's going to drown in it before long! And I have you to thank, Cure Capulet!"

Capulet winced as she struggled to pick herself back up, looking down at her gloved hand. She could see the very faint indentation in the fabric, where her Cure Signet was. It had almost happened once, Lovely Form. It had to happen again, why wasn't it happening?!

"Well then. If you're all done..." Tamora giggled and raised an arm. "So long, Capulet-!"

There was a loud _whack!_ and Tamora shrieked as she stumbled to the side.

"What the-?!"

Capulet couldn't believe her eyes. Behind Tamora was... "D-Dad?!" she yelled before she could stop herself.

Daisuke stood behind Tamora, a large, snapped-off tree branch in his hands. He didn't look at Capulet, so he didn't appear to notice how different she looked. He was just focused on the creature in front of him – the creature that, from this angle, he assumed was a bear. "Run, Hiromi!" he yelled, raising the branch to hit Tamora again. "Run!"

"Dad, look out!_ Dad!"_

"Go _away!"_ Tamora roared, swinging around to attack Daisuke.

Daisuke's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of what _exactly_ he was striking, but that quickly passed. He raised the branch again, catching Tamora's paw mid-swipe and knocking it away. "Get away from my daughter!" he yelled, swinging the branch again. "Hiromi! Hiromi, what are you waiting for?! Run!"

"Ugh, get _away!"_ Tamora roared, swinging again.

This time, Daisuke was not so lucky. Tamora's paw caught him at the side of the head, knocking him aside. He flew a few feet before landing in a heap on the ground.

"_Dad!_" Capulet screamed.

"Ugh, what was he even trying to do?" Tamora snarled. "Moron!"

"D-Don't call my dad a moron!" Capulet yelled, struggling to her feet. "He – He came to find me! He came looking for me, he wanted to help me! That's not moronic!"

* * *

><p><em>Hiromi was crying.<em>

_She sat under a tree, deep in the woods, her little pink overalls covered in dirt, one pigtail undone. The bobble that held it had snagged a root jutting from the cliff wall on her way down, and yanked painfully on her hair. But that wasn't why she was crying._

_No. No, she and her family had been playing a game. Hide-and-seek. Hiromi had found a perfect spot, a spot where she could hide safely and watch her father as he looked for the other girls._

_But then he'd come too close to her hiding place, and she didn't want to be caught yet. He'd catch her and the game would be over and they'd go home! She didn't want that yet!_

_So she'd backed up a few paces before turning and running, going deeper into the forest, to find a better hiding place. After she'd run for who knew how long, she stopped, satisfied that her dad wouldn't find her so easily._

_But that had been a long time ago. He hadn't found her at all. And she didn't know the way back. She'd stood up, tried to go back herself, but it had rained the day before, and some of the ground and roots were slippery. She'd slipped on an exposed root, landed on her ankle in a bad way. And now it hurt to stand up or move. She was stuck._

_So she'd done what any other seven-year-old would do in her situation. She'd sat and cried._

_It was getting colder, and dark. She could hear voices, but she didn't know what they were saying. Did her family even notice she'd gone? Maybe they were all going back to the car. Maybe they thought she was on the road, and were going to drive back along it. If they did that..._

_Hiromi suddenly imagined her father and sisters, driving home without her. She would sit there, while the sky got darker and darker, crying until nighttime. And no one would ever find her, and she'd never see her daddy again._

_"D-Dad..." she sobbed into her grubby fists. "D-Daddy..."_

_There was a loud rustling noise, making her breath catch in her throat and her heart skip a beat. Daddy had warned her about bears in the woods. _

_Maybe she wouldn't be left here alone then. Maybe she'd be eaten by a bear. Hiromi cried louder. Being eaten sounded scary, scary! She didn't wanna be eaten, she just wanted-! "D-**Daaaddy!**"_

_The rustling grew louder and louder over her cries, until someone barreled out of the brush and ran towards her. **"Hiromi!"** _

_Hiromi stopped mid-sob as she found herself lifted into the air and held tightly against her father's chest. Daisuke's clothes were dirty, his hair was a mess, and his glasses slightly askew. He had a leaf from a thorn bush attached to his sleeve, and he was sweating and out of breath. But he still smiled the biggest, brightest smile Hiromi had ever seen on him when he saw her, his eyes tearing up behind his glasses. _

_"Hiromi!" he half gasped, half sobbed._

_"D-Daddy?"_

_ "Hiromi, I'm so glad I found you...!"_

_"You came looking for me!"_

* * *

><p>"Dad knew I was in trouble! So he came to look for me, and he tried to save me without even thinking of himself! I can't let you call him names for that!" Capulet shouted, tears springing to her eyes.<p>

"Haaaah?" Tamora tilted her head, the rabbit she was fused to did the same thing. "He jumped on a big monster and hit it with a _stick._ That's pretty stupid."

"He's not stupid! He's my dad and he came to find me and tried to help me because he loves me! And I love him, and _you can't say such things about him!"_

And then there was a blast of golden light.

Tamora screeched, her own eyes squeezing shut while the rabbit creature held its arms over its face. "What is this?!" she cried.

Capulet found herself in a void of warm, butter-gold light. Her Cure outfit seemed to be gone, replaced by swaths of sheets made of pure light and energy. That same feeling she'd felt in school before, that feeling of rising power and courage, was back. Her hand tingled, and she brought it up to her face, gasping at what she saw.

The Cure Signet was glowing gold, and before her very eyes it morphed, the light bursting away into tiny sparks. Now on her finger was still undeniably a Cure Signet, but it had changed. It was thinner now, with a silver band. Two tiny gold hearts were on either side of a pink rose, a tiny diamond twinkling in the center of the flower.

"So pretty..." Capulet breathed. She gently pressed the Cure Signet to her mouth before clasping her hands together at chest-level. **"Pretty Cure! Love's Song!"**

The sheets wrapped around her like a flower bud before bursting apart into glowing hearts and sparks. Light washed over everything, casting an ethereal glow to the forest as the damaged trees were restored, the wounds on Daisuke vanished.

Tamora snarled, opening one eye to see the figure causing all of this. "What did you just do? Who do you think you are?!" she snapped.

Capulet smiled softly. She no longer wore her normal Cure outfit, but now had a more elaborate, layered dress. She had white gloves that reached the middle of her upper arms, pale yellow ribbons around the wrists, and a pale yellow ribbon choker. The sleeves of the dress were short, and puffy, white with a pale yellow cuff. Over her chest was a large bow the same color as her ribbons, with a large, dark pink heart-shaped brooch. A pale pink corset with pale yellow ribbons crisscrossing over the front was around her abdomen, and it was slightly parted to show the white bodice beneath. Al along the bottom of the corset were pale yellow beads, and a sheer, glittery pink fabric descended from it to form the topmost layer of skirt. Beneath that was an asymmetrical, ruffled pale pink skirt over another, warm yellow skirt that touched her mid-thighs. She wore white thigh-high stockings that slowly shifted to pale pink as it went towards her feet, and white high-heel shoes. Pale yellow beads ran along the tops of her stockings, and the small of her back sported a large bow made of the same material as her shimmery top-skirt, the tails fanning out and going all the way down to mid-calf. On her head was a golden tiara with dark pink jewels; four egg-shaped and one large heart in the center.

That wasn't all; her hair had changed too. She still wore large ringlets, but now they were longer, thicker, and her hair was pulled into a high ponytail. Two long ringlets descended past her ears; the wind blew softly to make them move, revealing dark pink jewels in the shape of hearts on her ears, the setting a warm gold.

She smiled, clasping her hands over her chest. **"Abundant innocent love, Lovely Cure Capulet!"**

"Lovely..." Tamora began, awed despite herself. Suddenly her features twisted into a snarl, the black aura appearing around her again. "It doesn't matter how pretty you look and what light show you pull out! I can still defeat you!" she roared, and charged forward.

Lovely Cure Capulet met her halfway.

The two traded kicks, punches. Or rather, Tamora was swiping at the Cure with all her might, snarling in rage all the while, as Lovely Capulet deflected her attack with either a punch or a kick. The whole time, lovely Capulet was smiling softly, a look of serene patience in her eyes. When Tamora drew both arms back to try a new attack, Lovely Capulet suddenly jumped up, spun, and kicked the monster part of Tamora.

To the Shitsuren girl's surprise, she was shot backwards twenty feet, making two large, long depressions in the earth where her feet dragged. "Wh-what-?!" she cried.

"Okay!" Lovely Capulet clapped her hands together before throwing her arms out in front of herself, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. In a burst of gold light, her Rapier Wand reappeared, spinning slowly until Capulet snatched it from the air. **"Sound of the Bells! A Lovely Song! Pretty Cure..."** She slowly traced a giant heart in the air before her, leaving a trail of gold and pink light, sparks, and interweaving light ribbons. **"Golden Innocent..."** The heart suddenly pulsed and double in size, then tripled, the light sparking and flaring like gold fire. **"...Shoot!"** At that word, Lovely Capulet thrust her Rapier Wand forward, and the heart shot towards Tamora.

She shrieked as it enveloped her, bathing her in light, until all that could be seen was Tamora's silhouette as darkness evaporated from around her in shreds.

When the light faded, Tamora stumbled to Earth, clutching at her chest. A little rabbit sat next to her, nose twitching for a moment before it darted into the forest.

"This isn't over..." Tamora hissed before teleporting away.

* * *

><p>"Dad! Dad, are you okay? Dad!"<p>

Daisuke groaned and opened his eyes. Hiromi filled his vision, her expression first one of concern, then pure relief and joy. "Hiromi...?"

"Dad! You're alright!" Hiromi cried, hugging him.

"Where...?" Daisuke groaned, rubbing his head. He glanced around. "Eh? We're in the picnic site...? But I thought-"

"Dad!" the quadruplets yelled as one, running into the site.

"Dad, you didn't come back down and we were so _worried-!"_ Emi cried, grabbing Daisuke by the shoulders.

"What...Hiromi, what happened?" Daisuke asked.

"Aha...there was a bear, Dad! And you chased it away from me! You were really brave..."

"What?! Dad, that was incredibly stupid!" Harumi gasped. "Bears are vicious, you know that!"

Daisuke frowned harder, apparently recalling _something_. "It...it was bearing down on Hiromi...I had to get it away from her-"

"And it worked!" Hiromi blurted out, waving her hands. "The bear got scared and ran away, and Dad was helping me back here, but when we got here, he fainted. I, uhm...I guess the fear caught up with you?" she mumbled, poking her fingers together.

"Huh...I suppose so..."

"Maybe we should postpone our picnic," Kiyomi muttered, casting an uneasy eye into the woods. "If there's a bear running around. Just because it's gone now doesn't mean it won't come back."

"Ah! But girls, we do this every year! You look forward to it so much..." Daisuke protested.

Harumi sighed. "Daaaad...it's not the _picnic._ It's spending time together, just us."

Hiromi nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah...all my favorite memories, it's not about the food or the picnic itself. It's what we all did together, what you all taught me or did for me. I don't mind doing something else today, as long as it's together."

Daisuke stared at his daughters with wide eyes. Then he smiled, sniffling a little, and before anyone could react, he had wrapped both Harumi and Hiromi in a tight hug. "Girls!" he cried.

"A-Ah, Dad, what's the matter?!" cried Emi, running over and finding herself pulled into the hug too. "What's gotten into you?!"

"Daaad, it's okay, come on!" said Kiyomi.

"Ah, we made Dad emotional, look!" laughed Hatsumi.

* * *

><p>Otome, Aki, and Miho were walking through the eating district, each of them working on an ice-cream.<p>

"You think Hiromi's okay?" Coffee asked. "With all those mosquitoes, and Lovely Form to think of, and being surrounded by animals, and-"

"Coffee, now you're starting to sound like her, datchu," Ti whispered.

Everyone started to laugh, but then Otome noticed something. She nudged Aki, who in turn tapped Miho's shoulder, and they all looked towards one of the eating establishments.

At a pizza place, the Satou family was crowded around a table, sharing a large pizza. A few of the elder daughters were half-heartedly fighting over a slice, and Hiromi was talking to Daisuke with a bright, happy smile.

"I thought they were-" Miho said, frowning.

Aki smiled and looped her arms through the girls', steering them in the opposite direction. "Leave them be, guys. It's family picnic day."

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Miho: "Woooow, Friendship Day!"

Hiromi: "A whole festival devoted to friendship! We're going to have so much fun!"

Otome: "Wah, how fun! I've made lots of new friends this year!"

Miho: "Me too, me too! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Friendship Day! I Love My Friends!' Let love heal your heart!"


	21. Chapter 21

_Miho sat on her front steps, drawing in the sunlight. Summer was just way too nice to spend drawing inside, she thought to herself as she looked skyward. Not a cloud in the sky, a hazy sunshine...What a perfect day._

_It kinda made her want an ice-cream though, or to walk down to the convenience store and buy a soda._

_Just as she was closing and setting aside her sketchbook, two girls in school uniforms walked past her. Miho brightened as she recognized the duo. "Anzu! Chiyo!" she called out, running to the gate._

_The girls started, looking at Miho uneasily when the latter reached the gate and smiled. "Oh...hi, Sakura," said Chiyo._

_"Eh? Hey, c'mon, it's Miho, remember?" Miho laughed. "I was gonna get a soda. You wanna come?"_

_The girls exchanged nervous glances. "Eh...Sakura, you dropped out, remember?" said Anzu._

_"Uhm, yeah...so?" Miho frowned._

_"Well...there's not a lot of time for us to hang out anymore, right?" Chiyo said. "I mean, we usually hung out in homeroom, lunch, did things after school-"_

_"Well, yeah, but we can still do the last part..." Miho said. "C'mon, I'm not in school but I'm still the same girl. Let's get a soda."_

_The girls just looked at each other again and shook their heads. "Sorry, Sakura," said Anzu. "W-We're kinda busy right now?" And with that, Anzu and Chiyo turned and continued on their way, leaving a confused Miho standing in the middle of the road._

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>"Miho! Doorbell!" Nana called towards the back of the house.<p>

"Just a sec!" Miho finished toweling her hair and hung the damp towel back on its rack. She'd just finished her morning shower and had quickly slipped on her bathrobe before drying her hair. But it seemed actually dressing would have to wait a sec – since Nana was speaking with her editor over IM, this left Miho to get the door.

The bell rang again as Miho walked over to the front door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" she called out. _It's probably the mailman with more supplies,_ she thought as she opened the door. Pochi barked joyfully behind her.

It wasn't the mailman.

"Miho~!" chorused her friends.

Miho stood there blankly for a second before remembering she was standing in a fluffy pink bathrobe with a pattern of white bunnies, and little else. Her eyes widened as her cheeks tinted pink. "Wah!"

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Friendship Day! I Love My Friends!<p>

* * *

><p>A short time later, Miho rejoined everyone outside, securing her hair buns with pins as she hopped down the stairs, Pochi's leash in hand. The dog barked a greeting to the others (and closed his eyes contentedly as Antoinette cooed over him and petted his head), and then they were all off.<p>

"You know," Miho started. "When you said you'd be here 'bright and early,' I didn't think it'd be this early!"

"Sorry...But Mirai had a premonition and said it'd be best to be earlier than planned," said Yuki with a shrug.

Otome didn't even blink at this. But she did say "I'm a little amazed at how casually you can say that...Is this a common ability in your town?"

"Oh, that's right, you're from Miyako-jima," said Antoinette. She giggled, tossing her hair a bit. "No, that's not a common thing. Our Mirai is just extraordinarily gifted."

Mirai smiled as everyone else laughed. Then she faced forward, eyes widening a bit as she spotted the pretzel stand. "Ah! I was right! Everyone, hurry please!"

A small crowd had already gathered at the stand, everyone clamoring for one. The couple who ran the place were running all over to serve their customers as fast as they could, but everyone knew this wouldn't be the busiest they got today.

Finally, the group pushed their way to the front. "Hi, ma'am!" Yuki gasped.

"Hinata? Shouldn't you be at the Sugar Bowl?"

"Nah, I got lucky and got the day off. Can we get four cream-filled-"

"Five," said Hiromi. "U-Uhm...for later."

"Five cream-filled, one plain, and two salt?"

Pochi barked.

"Two plain."

The wife yelled the order back to her husband and started to get the paper bags ready. "You _are_ lucky," she sighed. "We're going to have so many customers before the Friendship Day festival starts."

Otome blinked. "Friendship Day?"

"You're gonna close before it starts, right?" asked Yuki as they received their pretzels.

"The main shop, yes. My brother-in-law's setting up the festival stand for later – he and his wife will be taking care of people _there_."

"Ah, that's good, then," said Yuki, a few others agreeing. "Thanks for the food, see you around!" And they set off again, heading for the fashion district.

Miho grinned awkwardly. "Y-You really don't have to do this, you guys..." she said. It had been embarrassing enough just making plans for this.

* * *

><p><em>"I think the cherry-shaped hair decorations will look lovely in your hair, Mirai!" Antoinette squealed as the girls looked over a magazine.<em>

_"You think so? Then I think you'd look nice with some lilies."_

_After school that day, the group had gone to one of the outdoor cafes, and was poring over a few fashion magazines. But these magazines focused mainly on festival looks – yukata, furisode, sandals, hair ornaments... Yuki and Aki sat with Miho, while Otome was with Mirai, Hiromi, and Antoinette. Miho laughed at Yuki's awkward expression._

_"I don't see why I had to join in on this...I'm a guy, Aki, none of these magazines have something for me."_

_"Because you're my best friend and I trust your tastes!" Aki said before pointing to one picture. "Would I look cute in this color?"_

_"Oh, dude, no. You don't have the right tones for it."_

_Aki laughed again before looking at Miho. "Hey, how 'bout you, Miho?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"What colors would you wear?"_

_"For...?"_

_"The Friendship Festival, Miho, duh!" Yuki sighed._

_"I uh..." Miho blinked, expression blank. "I wasn't planning on going...I don't have a yukata that fits anymore either."_

_There was a long pause before – "Whaaaat?!"_

* * *

><p>And now here they were, the next day, shopping. Miho sighed, but smiled all the same. She really had to admit, when this group had an idea, they really committed.<p>

"Seriously, though, you guys-"

"Miho, shut up," Yuki said.

"All I was gonna say was, thank you! Sheez..."

"Oh." Yuki blinked, face red as everyone snickered. "Then, you're welcome! But seriously, Miho, don't worry. This is what friends do!"

_Friends_...

Otome paused in eating her pretzel to ask, "So what's this Friendship Day all about? We don't have it back home."

As Hiromi carefully placed one cream-filled pretzel in her bag for Ti and Coffee to enjoy, Aki filled Otome in. "Well, the _official_ name is 'The Festival of Friends, Bridges, and Stars,' but most people just call it 'Friendship Day.'"

"I can see why..." Otome chuckled awkwardly. "But what is it?"

"Eh, Friendship Day's basically an excuse to just have fun, eat unhealthy food, walk around with your friends and stay up til dawn," said Miho with a shrug.

Hiromi chuckled, covering her mouth. "There is a story to it, though!

"A long, _long_ time ago, before this town was called Koigokoromachi, there were two friends:

Yuuko and Suzuko. They were as close as two people could be and you rarely saw one without the other. They did everything together; cooking, washing, talking, eating – they even got married to their husbands on the same day, and lived right next door to each other afterwards. And every year, on the anniversary of the day they met as small girls, they would meet up at the footbridge, then go into the center of the town together to gaze at the stars.

"This continued for a long time, until one day, Suzuko fell sick and died. Yuuko was heartbroken by the loss of her friend, but she didn't let it weigh her down. She knew Suzuko would want her to continue living her life to the fullest, so she did just that. The only thing was, Yuuko still wanted to go to their special spot to see the stars. Even though her family said not to, that it would be too painful, she put on her favorite yukata and headed out.

"And then, much to her surprise, Suzuko was there waiting for her at the bridge, in _her_ favorite yukata! She had come all the way from the Land of the Dead to spend this special day with her best friend...nothing, not even death, could keep the two friends apart.

"And so, Friendship Day was created to honor the bond between the two," Hiromi finished her story, sniffling and wiping at her eyes under her glasses.

"So you meet your friends on the footbridge and then cross over to the festival area itself, and from there, you just have fun," said Mirai with a soft smile. "Last year it was just me and Hiromi, but now..." She glanced around their large group, and smiled brightly. "Look at all these friends! I didn't foresee _this!"_

_Neither did I,_ thought Miho with a bit of wistfulness.

* * *

><p>Everyone had branched off once they stepped inside the rental shop. The shop was small, so no one really lost each other, and was able to call out to someone from wherever they stood in the shop and simply hold out a yukata for Otome to reject or accept.<p>

Miho came in last, having taken a few moments to tie up Pochi and leave him some water. "I'll be out in a few minutes," she said as she entered the shop.

Coffee poked her head out of Miho's purse. "Miho, do you want to rent a yukata, or buy?"

"Ehhh, I dunno," Miho said sheepishly. "I probably should buy one – I had a growth spurt since last year, I think I'm done growing for a while..."

"You_ should_ get a new one!" Coffee exclaimed. "You'll look so pretty in a nice pale orange, I think."

"Yeah?" Miho muttered, not really paying attention.

"Pale orange, pale orange, datchu!"

"Man..." Miho frowned, muttering to herself as she browsed the racks of yukata. "I don't know what I'm gonna wear, though...I haven't been to the Festival in a while..."

"Hey, Miho!" Otome walked over just then, holding up a spring green yukata and smiling. "Do you wanna come to the changing room with me?" Before Miho could answer, the older girl grabbed her by the hand and gently led her to the fitting rooms, handing Miho's purse to Yuki as they passed him.

* * *

><p>"I've never worn one of these," said Otome as she slipped her arms through the sleeves. She glanced over at Miho, standing in the same changing room as she was, already wearing her own yukata. "Is it <em>possible<em> to put one of these on by yourself?"

"I just did it, didn't I?" Miho laughed before approaching Otome and tugging the fabric forward. "Here, hold still – I'll get the length ready for you." The two were quiet as Miho began to work, Otome just watching with a small, soft smile. Finally, she spoke up again.

"I actually wanted to get you in here for a reason. Besides this, I mean."

"Yeah?"

"Miho...if you don't mind my asking...were you very lonely before this year?"

"Eh?" Miho looked up at Otome, but the other girl was just staring ahead, watching her reflection in the mirror. Her smile was gone, replaced by a thoughtful, far-away expression. Miho stared for a while, silent. Otome seemed to take that as an invitation to keep talking.

"Back home, in Kokoro? I didn't have a lot of friends. I mean, everyone knew my Cure identity, yes, and there were the kids I used to look after – I didn't mention this to any of you, I worked at an orphanage. The kids liked me enough, but I wasn't someone they'd call a _friend._ It felt like...people knew me, they liked me, but they didn't _like_ me, you know?"

"Except Shylock..." Miho mumbled, frowning lightly.

Otome nodded. "Except Shylock...We were friends before I realized I loved him. He was my first real friend, and to be honest, after...After everything, I was worried. Scared. I thought I wouldn't have any other friends; I honestly wasn't sure I knew how to make any." Slowly, she smiled again. "And then you all invited me to the beach. You did things with me, invited me places...you guys all cared about my emotional well-being. And now I get to go to my first festival with a _friend_, a human friend...

"I guess where I'm going with this is...You sorta feel like me, like how I felt. I can just tell." She went quiet again as Miho tugged on the obi. "You said you stayed home last year. Do you want to talk about it; are you nervous about the festival?"

Miho said nothing for a while, focusing on securing the obi in place, adjusting it to fit perfectly. For a while, Otome thought she wasn't going to say anything at all, but then:

"There were these two girls I knew, growing up. We did a lot of things together..."

* * *

><p><em>Five-year-old Miho smiled brightly and held her hand out to the other two girls. <em>

_Her fellow kindergartners exchanged nervous looks before smiling back, shyly clasping her tiny hand in both of theirs._

"Anzu and Chiyo were their names...I don't even remember their surnames, is that weird? But we went to school together, colored together...I would invite them to my house for sleepovers, they'd invite me to the movies, we'd all do our homework together...Our favorite thing to do was go to the convenience store and buy sodas."

_They sat outside on a bench, drinking their respective soda. Anzu made a face and traded with Miho._

"And...I don't know what happened. I dropped out of school and they would always act weird when I tried to talk to them. They said...they said since I left school, I was different. I was changed. Their parents thought I was lazy, a bad girl...I didn't think much of it; I mean, hey, your parents think one thing but you think another, right? Happens all the time."

Her brows furrowed. "And...and then one day..."

* * *

><p><em>Miho ran down the street in her yukata, panting heavily as she glanced at her watch. She was gonna be so late! She quickened her pace, dodging people as she went. <em>

_Soon enough, the footbridge was in sight. And there were Anzu and Chiyo, walking together! Miho ran even faster, waving her arm over her head. "Heeeey! Girls!"_

_Anzu and Chiyo, wearing their pink and yellow yukata, their hair down up in ribbons and pins, turned around in surprise. They glanced at each other as Miho slowed to a walk before them. "Hi, girls!" Miho said. "Sorry I'm late."_

_"Eh...Sakura, uhm..." Anzu began, glancing at Chiyo. "Listen, we didn't exactly invite you this year."_

_"Huh?" Miho blinked, her smile fading. "But you didn't have to invite me...We always go to the Friendship Festival together, since we were in grade school, remember? We didn't have to invite each other because we...we just figured..." Miho trailed off, twisting her fingers around each other. "Aren't we...aren't we still...?"_

_Anzu glanced at Chiyo again, biting her lower lip._

_Chiyo sighed, stepping forward. "Sakura, listen. We told our parents what you did, and they're as shocked as we are. We all thought you were a good girl, and a good friend. But you're not; you're just lazy, and you're ditching school altogether. Honestly, Sakura...you're not the girl we knew back in middle school. We don't want to hang out with someone like you, okay?" She paused, as if waiting to see if Miho would defend herself. When she got no response beyond a blank stare, Chiyo turned around, grabbing Anzu's hand. "Just leave us alone, Sakura."_

_And then they were leaving again, Miho standing numbly on the bridge as she stared after them._

* * *

><p><em>She was running home. She didn't remember if she'd stood there a bit longer, or if she'd turned and ran right away, but she was going home. The town blurred past her as she ran, blurred in front of her eyes as she tried not to let out any of the noise she was bottling up. She took the fastest route home as if she were on autopilot, making the right turns without really thinking about it.<em>

_There was a door in front of her. She just yanked it open, not even bothering to remove her geta._

_She vaguely heard Nana say "Miho-?" as she ran past her in the sitting room, but didn't respond. She just ran for her own bedroom, slamming the door behind herself. Miho stumbled a bit before she threw herself face-down on her bed, clutching her pillow as she sobbed._

* * *

><p>"I was so stupid," Miho finished quietly. "I thought they would still be my friends. I thought they were my friends despite how they treated me... I guess I was so desperate not to lose them that I told myself they still cared about me."<p>

"Miho..." Otome murmured sympathetically.

"But then..." Miho's next words made Otome blink and straighten her back. "Then I met Hiromi and Aki. And I started hanging out with them, and you know...they didn't care who I was. They didn't care that I wasn't in school. I can't even think that they only hung out with me because of Pretty Cure business because, like, they did things with me before I joined them. And then there were _their_ friends, and now I've got..."

She smiled brightly, lifting her face to look at Otome. "I've got all of you! And I get to go to the Friendship Festival with my new friends, just like you. I get to be with my true friends, and...I'm just..." Unable to finish, Miho looked back down, her shoulders shaking slightly as she sniffled and sobbed quietly.

Otome smiled gently, wrapping her arms around Miho's shoulders and drawing her into a warm, close hug. "Shhhh," she soothed. "There, there...It's alright, Miho..."

"I'm...I'm really happy I got to know you all!" Miho said.

"I know..." Otome whispered, her own eyes a bit shiny as well. "So am I..."

* * *

><p>"So we'll meet at the footbridge at eight, right?" Hiromi said later, as the group walked home with their purchases.<p>

Miho smiled down at the yukata in her bag: an adorable white one with pale orange and tangerine stripes forming a sort of checker pattern. There was an orange obi, and she had found some pale white flowers for the sash and her hair.

"Yeah..." she whispered as everyone else agreed much louder. "Yeah, we'll meet on the bridge!"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>"Nana, please, I look fine!"<p>

"But Miho, one of the flowers is crooked!" Nana cried, adjusting one of the flowers secured in one of Miho's hair-buns.

"N-Nana, those are fragile! You're gonna break them!"

"At least let me take a picture!"

"You're gonna make me late for meeting my friends!"

Pochi barked as if in agreement.

"Please, just two seconds!" Nana dragged Miho over to the entryway, aiming her digital camera at her cousin. "Oh, don't give me that sour look – c'mon, smile. ...There, that's good, okay!" There was a faint _click_ as the camera went off. "Okay, now-"

"Okay, thanks, Nana, gotta go!" Miho cried, throwing open the door.

"Miho!" The door slammed shut, however, and Miho was long gone. Nana sighed, one hand on her hip. "What do you think, Pochi? Did she blink?"

* * *

><p>Miho ran down the empty street as fast as she could, breathing heavily. Jeez...she was all set to meet at eight, but then silly Nana had just insisted on fixing her hair and her yukata, and lending <em>her<em> hair decorations and just... Miho glanced at her watch, crying out in dismay as she noted the time. It was already ten minutes after eight. "Aaaaah! I'm gonna miss my friends!" she yelled.

But the voice she heard made her stop. "Why go to that trouble to meet them?"

Miho turned to the source of the voice, spotting Tamora above her. The white-haired girl stared down with an expression of curiosity mixed with disappointment, standing atop one of the paper lanterns that had been strung up throughout town. "Why go to that trouble?" she asked again. "Friends always leave one way or another. There's no reason to be in such a hurry to meet them...and there's no reason to celebrate such a thing!"

Before Miho could react, Tamora pulled out her Heartbreak Marker and drew a slashed heart in the air. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come out, Usotsuki!"

She didn't throw the symbol out this time. Instead, she held her arms out at her sides, allowing the symbol to drop straight down...into the paper lantern she expertly stood on. The brooch on Tamora's chest pulsed with a black and purple aura; soon the aura overtook Tamora was well. The girl tilted her head back, gritting her teeth as she-

She fell – no, she _sank_ – into the lantern, a flash of purple light obscuring her from view for just a moment.

When it faded, there was a large, glowing red-hot Usotsuki in the shape of a giant, glowing yellow paper lantern. It resembled a lantern youkai to an extent, with a torn mouth made to resemble sharp fangs, its body floating a few inches off the ground. Pitch-black arms, like thin burnt branches with clawed hands, protruded from its sides. And inside of it, Miho could see Tamora's silhouette, pitch-black with the edges raging as if she'd caught fire. Then two bright red eyes snapped open – Tamora's eyes, Miho realized with a sick feeling. _"I am an Usotsuki!"_ Tamora shrieked. _"Despair!"_

Miho could see streams of dark energy rising from several different streets, moving toward the sky – the people! People all the way out there were being affected!

_"Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world~!"_

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, boiling as it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

**"Pretty Cure! Love's Song! The steadfast love in a maiden's heart, Cure Portia!"**

A blast of fire shot from the top of the lantern; Portia only _just_ managed to leap out of the way, high above the Usotsuki. At the top of her jump she tucked and rolled, flying back down feet-first.

"Pretty Cure Portia Double-Stomp!"

Tamora just jumped back, quickly spewing more fire up towards Portia.

The Cure fell right into it, screeching as she covered her face with her arms. She crashed painfully to the ground, the stream of fire following her down. Portia untangled herself and leaped away, gasping in pain as she did so. Luckily, being a Cure allowed her to withstand more than a normal person, so she got away with mild burning and scorch marks.

The fire stopped, but only so Tamora could speak. "It's such a stupid festival! Friends always leave in the end! The people you think care about you...they'll either betray and leave you, or they die and leave you! There's no point to making any friends if you'll just be all alone!"

"That's not true..." Portia wheezed, haltingly rising to her feet. Damn...that had only been one strike but that _fire!_ And with a more powerful Usotsuki... She gasped for breath and charged forward, trying a new tactic.

The Usotsuki blasted another stream of fire at her – Portia lowered her head and crossed her arms in front of her face to block it, but kept running. The fire surged past and around her, burning her arms, but she didn't care. With a roar of triumph and determination, Portia reached the Usotsuki and swung her arms in front of herself, hands clasped together to smack the monster with her fists.

It didn't do much damage, amounting to merely off-balancing it, but Portia saw her chance. As the Usotsuki stopped spewing fire and stumbled back briefly, she ran forward again, jumped up and kicked it near the bottom of the lantern part.

The Usotsuki fell back again, but that wasn't the end of it. Inside the lantern, Tamora grit her teeth and swung her arm out; the Usotsuki she controlled responded in kind, smacking a charging Portia aside and sending her crashing against a building.

As the Usotsuki slowly marched towards her, the dust cleared to reveal Portia struggling to get out of the hole she'd made in the wall. She put her weight on one of her arms – and screamed, grabbing it. There was an angry red, shiny mark on her skin. The fire had done some stronger damage after all.

And Tamora wasn't done. "Pretty Cure..." she snarled before throwing her hands forward. Fire spiraled between the Usotsuki's hands and shot forward in an unending stream before Portia could react. But this time, it was fiercer, more powerful than the others. And Portia was already hurt and weak. The Cure screamed as the fire overtook her, every cell of her body burning.

"Friendship is pointless!" Tamora was yelling over the roar of the flames, and the screams of her victim. "Ariel was my friend and she betrayed me! Shylock was my friend and he left me! They were my _only_ friends! And they left! Friends will always leave you; it's better not to have any!"

* * *

><p><em>Miho walked out of the video store, blinking in surprise as she saw Chiyo and Anzu walking past. She wanted to speak to them, but they didn't even see her. They were too busy talking, giggling together as they entered a photo booth, like they used to when Miho was their friend.<em>

* * *

><p>"That's why when I'm done here, the festival grounds are next! It's going to burn; I'll burn it all, burn it all! Stupid ideas like that should just be burned away like <em>you!"<em>

Through the fire, Portia's eyes opened wide, a faint gasp of shock escaping her.

* * *

><p><em>Miho still stood in that spot, staring at the photo booth for just a moment longer. Then she sighed, closed her eyes and shook her head. She turned and walked off, heading towards the hamburger shop in the mall.<em>

_Waiting for her at a table was Hiromi, Aki, and Otome. They all looked up, smiling brightly as they waved at her. Miho could see two tiny paws waving from Hiromi's purse too._

_Miho laughed as she joined them, dropping into a chair._

* * *

><p>"Not...true..."<p>

"Hm? You're still gonna try to talk?" asked Tamora, increasing firepower.

"Sometimes you lose friends...s-sometimes you lose people you cared about. That friendship itself – it's a beautiful thing!" Portia yelled over the roar of flames, her eyes squeezed shut, head tilted back. "I may have lost some friends, but I gained new ones! Better ones! Friends who care about me no matter what, who love me for who I am!"

In her mind's eye, she saw Pretty Cure, Ti, and Coffee waiting for her at the bridge. Antoinette, Yuki, Mirai...they were all there too.

She remembered sitting alone on the bench, surprised to see Hiromi approaching her. The bespectacled girl had sat next to her and asked what was wrong, instead of...

"When they heard something bad about me, they asked me about it! They didn't believe the person telling them that! They cared about me and valued what I had to say, so they came to me instead of cutting off ties with me! They're my true friends...friendship is a beautiful thing...and I..."

Unseen by her, the Cure Signet began to glow, radiating orange sparks.

_"I won't let you destroy a festival that honors something so wonderful! I won't let you ruin our night!"_

There was a blast of white light, obscuring everything from view. Tamora was so shocked she stopped her attack, stumbling backwards and covering her eyes. "This light again-!" she cried.

Cure Portia found herself floating in a void of light. Her wounds now healed, her Cure outfit was gone and replaced by sheets of pale orange light. She stared in awe at her surroundings, a faint "Ah..." escaping her. Another light, at waist-level, caught her attention, and she held her hand out in front of her to see what was happening.

Her Cure Signet was glowing pale orange, and before her eyes it changed. The light burst apart into tiny sparks. The Cure Signet was now a thin silver band. Two tiny gold hearts were on either side of a pale orange rose, a tiny diamond twinkling in the center of the flower.

"This is..." Portia whispered, her expression still one of awe before her brows furrowed, mouth a thin line. She gently kissed the ring before clasping her hands over her chest. **"Pretty Cure! Love's Song!"**

The sheets wrapped around her like a flower bud before bursting apart into glowing hearts and sparks.

The light faded, and Tamora slowly put her arms down, squinting at the figure in the light. "Not you too-!" she gasped.

Portia had indeed changed too. She stood in the street in front of the hole in the building – which quickly faded as the light worked its healing magic on their surroundings. And as Capulet had as well, now she too wore a more elaborate dress.

She had white gloves that tapered at her elbows, pale orange ribbons around the wrists, and a pale orange ribbon choker. The sleeves of the dress were short and puffy, white with a pale orange cuff. Over her chest was a large bow the same color as her ribbons, with a large deep red heart-shaped brooch. A golden-orange corset, just a few shades darker than her ribbons, was over her abdomen, with pale orange ribbons crisscrossing over the front. It was slightly parted to show the white bodice beneath, and all along the bottom of the corset were pale orange pearls. A sheer, glittery orange fabric descended from it to form the topmost layer of skirt; beneath that was ruffled skirt that split in the front, white in color but slowly gradiating to the same golden color as her corset. Underneath that was a pale orange skirt that reached mid-thigh. She wore white thigh-high boots with high heels, strings of pale orange beads around her ankles. On the small of her back was a large bow made of the same material as her shimmery top-skirt, the tails fanning out and going all the way down to mid-calf. A tiara rested over her forehead; silver settings with deep red jewels. The center was a heart, the other four jewels were circles. On her ears were heart-shaped chandelier earrings, the same silver and red combination as her circlet.

Her hair, a softer orange than before, had grown much longer now, cascading to the small of her back in waves. At either side of her head were two large, fluffy and wavy pigtails that were half the length of the rest of her hair.

She smiled, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder before tapping one hand to her chest. **"Abundant steadfast love, Lovely Cure Portia!"**

Tamora grit her teeth even harder, grinding them in frustration before throwing her arms out again. "Arrrgh! Why do you guys keep getting new outfits?! Why don't you _burn out?!"_

Another river of fire shot for Lovely Portia – and Portia threw her arms out in front of herself. In an instant, a large copper square appeared, looking like an odd combination of glass and light. The fire crashed harmlessly against the shield, illuminating Lovely Portia dramatically.

"Wh-what the-? You get a shield?! No far!" shrieked Tamora.

"Hup!" Lovely Portia dug her heels into the ground and flexed her fingers. The light shot towards the Tamora-Usotsuki, blocking the fire from the Cure until it smashed against the monster.

The Usotsuki was sent flying back against the buildings across the street, much like Portia herself had been earlier.

Lovely Portia wasn't finished yet. "I want to meet my friends!" she yelled. She threw her arms out in front of herself, the heels of her hands together as she slowly rotated them together before throwing her arms out at her sides. As her head tilted back and her eyes closed, the Chest of Revelation appeared before her in a burst of pale orange light. Lovely Portia leaned back for a moment before snapping forward, clasping the box between her hands. **"Sound of the Bells! A Lovely Song! Pretty Cure..."** The box slowly opened, light orange energy being sucked into the box like a tornado. As it grew wider and spiraled faster, it began to emit bronze sparks and ribbons; Lovely Portia's hair whipped about her face from the force. **"Bronze Steadfast..."** The light was suddenly completely sucked inside, and Lovely Portia angled the box towards Tamora, lunging forward on one leg. **"...Shoot!"** At that word, a giant glowing heart emitting bronze and orange sparks shot out towards the fallen Tamora.

She shrieked as it enveloped her, bathing her in light, until all that could be seen was Tamora's silhouette as darkness evaporated from around her in shreds.

A paper lantern fell to Earth as the light faded, Tamora stumbled a bit as she hugged herself. "You..." she snarled. "I'll-!"

_"Tamora?"_ a voice called from the Heartbreak Brooch.

Tamora gasped. "L-Lady?!"

_"Tamora, please, return home! You're injured and weak!"_

"But I-!"

_"Lord Break wants you home, Tamora..."_

Tamora grit her teeth, stomping her foot childishly before she teleported away. The scenery shifted, rebuilding everything and restoring what had been damaged as Lovely Portia detransformed back into Miho.

She looked at her watch again, gasping faintly. "I'm late!" she cried.

* * *

><p>She looked at her watch again. Three minutes since the fight had ended. She was late...she wasn't going to make it...They'd all be disappointed in her, they'd-<p>

_"Miho, I don't think you're a bad person."_

_"Miho, you're our friend."_

_They called her Miho, not Sakura..._

Miho grit her teeth, speeding up. Beads of sweat formed at her temples, but she paid little mind. She had to get to the bridge...she had to get-

_"Take this turn."_

"Huh?" Miho turned left just then, following an unfamiliar street. No. Wait, she knew this street, just not from this viewpoint. This was-

"A shortcut?"

_"You're almost there. Don't give up!"_

* * *

><p>"Do you think she's hurt?" Antoinette murmured, checking her watch. She and the others were all still standing at the footbridge, watching the people walk past them and into the festival grounds. None of them were Miho, and quite frankly... "I'm starting to worry."<p>

Hiromi started to twist a lock of hair around her fingers, lowering her head so the light caught her glasses. "D-Do you think she got lost?! She hasn't come to the festival for a while, what if she can't remember the way? What if a car hit her?! What if her shoes got lost and she's hobbling down the street right now and-"

"Don't."

Everyone looked at Mirai, who was just smiling softly. "I can see it. She'll be fine."

Aki frowned. "I guess but-"

"Guuuuuys!"

"Huh?"

The others looked up, smiling brightly when they saw who it was.

Miho, her hair a bit disheveled and her gait a little stumbling, was running towards them, frantically waving one arm over her head. She looked tired, sweat beading her forehead, but still smiled as she drew nearer and slowed to a stop. "Sorry...I'm late..." she panted.

"That's alright! But look at you!" Hiromi gasped and pulled out a little handkerchief, gently dabbing the sweat from Miho's skin. "Oh my – Miho, you're exhausted!"

"I-"

"Okay, you know what? We're getting shaved ice, on me. Miho needs something cool," said Yuki.

"I've got a water bottle here, Miho! I knew someone would need one."

"Miho, you wanna sit down for a bit first?"

"Aki, are you mad? Of course she wants to sit!"

Miho stared at everyone, blinking. Then she let out an odd noise between a laugh and a sob, covering her mouth and bowing her head. "You guys..." she began, then looked back up at them, holding back tears. "Thanks, everyone...shaved ice sounds good..."

* * *

><p>As the group walked into the festival grounds, Otome and Hiromi supporting Miho, two more people walked up to the bridge.<p>

An elderly woman looked at a younger, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. "I'm sorry I'm late this year, Suzuko."

"That's alright, Yuuko," said the younger woman, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You wanted to help someone meet her friends, too, right?"

"You know me too well," the old lady chuckled.

As the two slowly crossed the bridge, arm in arm, they vanished.

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Aki: "Aaaagh, I feel like I've been neglecting Hiromi lately!"

Miho: "Ah, no, Aki, I think you're fine."

Aki: "I gotta make it up to her! Okay, I'll meet her after school..."

Otome: "Aki."

Aki: "And I'll bring a cute stuffed animal."

Miho: "Aki!"

Aki: "And then – gah, this has to be perfect!"

Otome: "She's not listening, is she?"

Aki: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'I Love You! These Are _My_ Feelings!' Let love heal your heart!"


	22. Chapter 22

_Aki practically waltzed into class that day, lightly swaying and humming a tune under her breath. There was a dreamy smile on her face as she made her way to her desk, gracefully dropping into her seat and finishing her song._

_Beside her, Yuki grinned as he hastily finished his math homework. "So. Official date went well, I take it?"_

_"Oh yeah..." Aki sighed happily, resting her chin in her hands. "And she was so cute, Yuki! She had this adorable new outfit on and had adorable bobbles in her hair and she blushed when I said she was cute and that made her even cuter-"_

_"You've got it **bad**," Yuki said. He turned in his seat, staring as Hiromi entered the room and waved at Mirai. "I can't believe **she's** the one you like..."_

_Aki laughed sheepishly, a hand behind her head. Then her smile faded, and she sighed. "But that was pretty much the only good part of the date...Everything after we met went wrong! Hnnn..." she moaned, draping herself across her desk. "I'd be surprised if she ever wants to date me for real again..."_

The Aki of the present smiled at her wall calendar that morning, making off another day. The next day's space had a bright red heart circled around it, with the name "Hiromi!" written in the middle.

"Al_right!_" Aki whispered with a big grin.

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>Hiromi stood at the tree, waiting for Aki. Mirai and Antoinette walked past, waving at her; Hiromi smiled and waved back.<p>

Her smile faltered a bit at the sound of rapid footfalls, but it quickly came back as she turned around to greet the newcomer. "Ah, hello, Ak-"

"Hi-ro-mi~!" Aki cheered, launching herself at her girlfriend and wrapping her arms tightly around her shoulders. Momentum kept her moving, and Hiromi stumbled under Aki's weight as the dark-haired girl swung outward and ended up spinning them both around. Finally, Hiromi grabbed Aki by the waist and regained their balance.

"A-Aki, what-" she gasped, face flushed.

"Just letting you know, it's almost Date Day!"

"Ah...aha...how could I forget...?"

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: I Love You! These Are <em>My<em> Feelings!

* * *

><p>"Alright, so who's going to read the next few lines? Miss Nanase?" Mrs Matoko looked up from her book.<p>

"Yes, ma'am! 'And I bought flowers _from_ you, _for_ you...'"

Aki wasn't paying attention; she stared down at her open notebook, idly tapping her pencil against the paper. _Hmm...we'd gone to the crepe place first...and then we'd gone to the river to feed the ducks. And then..._

"Miss Oshiro?...Miss Oshiro?"

"Hah? Yes, Mrs Matoko!" Aki slammed her notebook shut and straightened up.

Mrs Matoko was staring at her, expressionless. "Miss Oshiro, can _you_ tell us the square root of seven hundred and fifty?"

"Uh...yes?"

"Fantastic, but this is literature, and you clearly weren't paying attention." Mrs Matoko sighed and pointed to the door. "Hallway."

* * *

><p>Aki stood outside, leaning against the wall. Jeez, her of all people...<p>

But this was okay! It meant she had more time for planning Date Day! With a grin, Aki pulled her notebook out from behind her back, plucked her pencil from behind her ear, and began to write again.

"The crepe place, feeding the ducks...and we got some coffees after we saw a movie..." she muttered. "I think that was about it...?" She thought for a second. "Yeah, definitely it."

She sighed again, thinking back on that day. What a disaster that had been...

And Hiromi didn't deserve a disastrous date, not back then and not now and not ever. She deserved the whole world, more than what Aki could give.

But she could at least start by giving Hiromi some _proper_ date memories, something nice instead of what had happened back then.

She deserved that.

"This time!" she suddenly yelled, curling her fingers into a fist. "This time...this time, Hiromi deserves the best. She _will_ have the best!" she cried, thrusting her fists into the air and behind her.

Just as the sliding door opened.

_SMACK!_

"...ah." Aki whirled around, eyes wide and face red. "M-Mrs Matoko?!"

Mrs Matoko stood hunched over in the doorway, eyes squeezed shut, one hand over her nose. Abruptly, she straightened and loomed over Aki, eyes snapping open furiously. _"Miss O-shi-ro!"_

* * *

><p>"Ti, Coffee, please be careful!" Otome screamed, hands held in front of her as if she wanted to reach out and grab them, but wasn't sure if it was the precise time for that yet.<p>

Miho chuckled as she stepped out of the back door, sodas in hand. "Ah, don't worry, Otome. Pochi won't hurt them, will you, boy?"

Pochi barked.

"I just..." Otome sputtered, not even looking as Miho casually passed her a can of soda. "I just...I just dunno if it's _safe_ for Ti to be on that dog's back!"

"Don't worry, Cure Ariel, it's fine!" Coffee called from where she sat on Pochi's back, behind Ti. "Pochi's back is huge, we won't slip!"

"That only takes care of _one_ worry!"

"Otome, Pochi's just a big sweetheart. They'll be fine," Miho chuckled before taking a drink.

Otome sighed, trying to relax. "Say, uh, do you want to do something, just us, tomorrow? Aki's gonna be on a date with Hiromi, and it's important, so we shouldn't go to the same places."

"Ah, is it their anniversary?"

"Well...no..."

* * *

><p><em>"Hiromi, please date me this weekend!" Aki yelled into her the house phone.<em>

_"E-Ehhhh?" Otome could hear Hiromi's tinny cry from where she stood in the hallway. She'd changed into her pajamas and had been on her way to the kitchen to get a water bottle with bed, but hearing Aki on the phone made her pause. She hastily backed up and out of sight, but didn't go back to her room just yet. Something told her to stay._

_That or she was just too curious for her own good._

_Aki's voice sounded urgent. "I mean, it's been a little while since we had a real, proper date, just us, right? And...and you're always doing nice things for me and I'm just – And anyway, do you wanna go out this weekend?"_ she asked again, in a softer voice than last time.

* * *

><p>"And apparently she said yes," Otome said. "Aki seemed pretty nervous about it, too...I hope they'll be alright."<p>

"Ah, they should be," Miho said with a shrug. "I mean, they're Hiromi and Aki, c'mon."

* * *

><p>All was peaceful at Heartbreak Manor-<p>

_"WHY NOOOOT?"_

Never mind.

Tamora was the one who had yelled, stomping her foot as she hurled a throw pillow at Riche's face.

Riche casually held a hand up to catch the pillow, still sipping at his tea as if nothing had happened. "I said," he began. "That I believe you best stay home today."

"Why?! I can still fight! I can get rid of them-!"

"Tamora, dear!" Lady's voice cut in. She stood in the doorway, a fresh pot of tea in her hands. She crossed the room to Tamora, setting down the teapot before gently pushing Tamora into one of the plush chairs. "You have suffered too greatly at their hands, Tamora. You have to rest." Quickly, she poured some tea and pressed the cup into Tamora's hands. "Here, drink this."

"I can totally fight!" Tamora repeated, but took the tea nonetheless. She hugged Ichiko with one arm, daintily holding the tea with her other hand. "Pretty Cure just...they just got lucky! There was a bright light and they had a new dress and then this attack that was like _owwww_ and-"

"And that is precisely why you need rest," Lady repeated, her tone concerned.

Riche finished his drink and stood up, adjusting the Heartbreak Brooch that rested over his heart. "If there are no objections, I will be the one to go to Earth."

"I object!"

"Tamora, I meant objections from someone _besides_ you," Riche muttered, striding for the doors.

"Good luck, darling," Lady called to him.

* * *

><p>The next day, Aki rushed to the crepe shop she was meeting Hiromi at. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper, glancing at it.<p>

_-Crepes_

_-Ducks on river_

_-Movie_

_-Coffee (the drink, not our fairy)_

"Okay, let's do this..." Aki muttered, running faster.

It was the same things they had done on their first date as an official couple. But that time...

Aki winced, turning red as she recalled how _that_ had gone.

The crepe shop had been closed because a fire had broken out in the kitchens earlier that day, so they had to eat at a tiny ramen shop a few streets down.

The ducks weren't at the river at all that day, and no amount of bread tossed on the water would lure them out. Aki and Hiromi had to eat the bread themselves.

The movie? Surely that couldn't go wrong! But it had. The movie turned out to be _terrible_, laughably so. Hiromi had to contain her giggles as they left the lobby, Aki snarling that they should get their money back.

And then there was the coffee...The line was long, Aki burned her tongue, and Hiromi had spilled her drink all over her cute dress.

What a _disaster_.

"But not this time!" Aki gasped, spotting Hiromi in the distance. "Not this time! This is gonna be a _great_ date, and she's getting the good time she deserves!"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>"Okay...okay, this is gonna be a good date," Aki muttered to herself, hand curled into a fist. "A <em>good<em> date!"

"Ah, Aki, are you alright?" Hiromi asked.

"I'm fine!" Aki yelped, face pink.

"Because this date was your idea, and..."

"I said I'm fine, don't worry!" Aki laughed it off, waving her hand dismissively. "Alright, let's uh...let's get some crepes!" They looked up at the menu as they waited in line. "So what flavor are you getting?"

"Well, they just released a kiwi coconut crepe I've been curious about..." Hiromi mumbled, smiling a little.

"Then we can get that!" Aki declared, clapping her hands together-

And apparently the girl at the counter heard them, even with five people in front of them, because she looked over at them with an apologetic twist to her features. "Pardon me, you two," she called down. "But we ran out of kiwis earlier, so we won't be offering anything with kiwi in it."

Aki felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. "Whaaat?" she wailed. Nooo, one thing on the list was already out!

"It's okay, I can still have strawberry-banana," Hiromi reassured her girlfriend, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.

_It's the principle of the thing!_ Aki thought, trying not to cry in frustration.

* * *

><p>"The river...the river should be fine!" Aki said to herself as she and Hiromi made their way over. They'd stopped by the bakery on their way there, and now held a loaf of freshly-baked bread apiece.<p>

Sure enough, the ducks _were_ there this time! Aki felt her heart lift. Hiromi was going to have the date she deserved!

She laughed as she broke off another piece of bread and tossed it into the water, watching one of the smaller ducks gobble it up. "These guys are so cute," she said.

"I know!" Hiromi said with a soft laugh. She tore a sizable chunk of bread, too big. "Oh, hang on..." She set her loaf of bread down and began to tear the piece she held into smaller ones...

A loud shriek and a chorus of quacks caught Aki's attention. The brunette whirled around to see Hiromi swatting at about five ducks that were flying around her, trying to snatch the bread from her hands, while two more fought over the loaf at her feet.

"H-Hiromi!" Aki yelled, dropping her own bread and running into the fray to help.

* * *

><p>"We're missing the movie..." Aki sighed as she and Hiromi dabbed peroxide on the scratches they'd earned.<p>

"It's okay," Hiromi said. "Our health is far more important!"

"Can't we just transform into Pretty Cure for a second? Then our wounds will heal!"

"You can't use Pretty Cure magic for everything!"

* * *

><p>So all that was left was coffee.<p>

Aki walked behind Hiromi, scribbling over the movie theater option. The movies had been a no-go, the ducks were more violent than they'd anticipated, the crepe place _really_ needed to stock up on their ingredients better...

The coffee was her last hope.

"Vanilla, please."

"Caramel chocolate, please," Hiromi placed her order next.

The two sat down at one of the outdoor tables, sipping at their drinks as they ignored two kids trying to act cool and fake-fighting nearby. Aki carefully watched Hiromi's expression. When she looked perfectly happy with her coffee, Aki relaxed a bit. Good, good, this was a success at least.

She frowned suddenly, setting her Styrofoam cup down. "I think the whipped cream is blocking the sip hole," she muttered, pulling the lid off.

"Aki, won't it get cold faster that way?" asked Hiromi.

"Nah, I'll be fine," Aki said, smiling at her in a reassuring way. She held the cup to her lips, taking another drink. Yum, vanilla coffee was good! She grinned, taking a longer, deeper drink. Yeah, coffee was good for soothing her nerves. Maybe this was gonna be okay after all.

And then one of the kids who'd been trying to look cool and tough shoved the other way too hard. His friend fall backwards, crashing right into Aki from behind. And then the cup flew from Aki's hands.

And a faint brown stain appeared on the front of Hiromi's skirt. "Kyah!" she cried out, nearly dropping her own drink.

"Hiromi!" Aki shrieked, standing up so fast her chair nearly fell over. She ignored the cafe employee chewing out the kids behind her, and started grabbing at napkins, tossing them on Hiromi's lap with trembling hands. "I – I can fix this, I can!"

"Aki?"

"I can fix this! This isn't ruined, I'm – I'm so sorry, I – I'm so sorry!" Aki kept saying, sounding close to tears. "I can...l-lemon juice! Lemon juice can get stains out, lemon juice!" she cried.

"Aki-!"

"I'll be right back!" Aki cried, turning around before Hiromi could see how shiny her eyes were. As Hiromi yelled for her to come back, it was fine, really, Aki bolted down the street and turned the corner, heading for the convenience store several blocks away.

* * *

><p>Aki slowed to a walk, then a depressed trod, and then finally a stop. She leaned against a nearby lamp post just as it flickered on, and sighed. "What am I doing?" she mumbled to herself. "This whole day was a disaster... Maybe I shouldn't have even suggested it...Hiromi deserves so much and yet I...this day..." Aki closed her eyes in defeat. "I've really let Hiromi down, haven't I?"<p>

"Well, I can't say whether you have or not..."

Aki gasped and whirled around, coming face to face with-

"Riche!"

Riche bowed, smiling faintly as he pulled out his Heartbreak Marker. "But I do know this: I have to defeat you."

Before Aki could react, Riche drew a slashed heart in the air. "Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come out, Usotsuki!" With a fling of his arm, the symbol shot out towards a nearby car – but it didn't become an Usotsuki right away. First, the strange brooch on Riche's chest pulsed with a black aura that rapidly expanded to cover himself too. He grit his teeth, hugging himself tightly before his body flashed purple, and the purple light shot to the car.

When the next flash of light faded, Aki saw that the car had tripled in size, gained a pitch-black paint job, the headlights glowing angry red.

And Riche was growing from its roof. His torso stuck out from the middle, hunched over as his arms fused back into the metal. His eyes snapped open, revealing glowing red sclerae with black pupils. The car's engine revved, and when Riche spoke, his voice had an undercurrent of the same growling sound. _"I am an Usotsuki!"_ he declared. _"Despair!"_

Streams of dark energy rose from several different streets in the distance, moving toward the sky – heartbreak and despair being drawn from the people there.

_"Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world!"_

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, boiling as it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song! The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

Riche drove forward, leaving black tire marks on the street behind him as he went.

Montague had no time to defend herself. The Riche-Usotsuki plowed into her, sending her flying painfully into the air. Montague cried out in agony as she fell back towards the ground-

-In time for Riche to turn around and hit her again.

Once again, Montague hurtled through the air, shrieking in pain. She landed on the ground, hard, rolling and skidding along the pavement. Her skin was scraped and bruised nastily, her dress torn in places. She finally came to a stop, wheezing for air. Every bone in her body ached – this was beyond mere muscle or nerve pain!

She wasn't so far gone that she didn't notice Riche driving towards her again, though, and with all of her strength, she grabbed at the ground and flung herself out of the way. She landed, again painfully, on the sidewalk. Montague was trembling as she grabbed a light-post and used it to pull herself up.

"You can't attack now, Montague!" Riche said.

"S-Sound of-" Montague gasped out, letting go of the post to clap her hands together. She didn't get any farther as Riche suddenly drove towards her again, hitting her at a lesser impact so she was sprawled out on the hood instead of airborne. "Gyaah!"

"As I was saying," Riche continued as if nothing had happened. "You can't attack now. So it's only a matter of time until you're completely finished – and don't worry, I'll be sure to finish you off quickly. I just wanted to reassure you that your friends won't be far behind you. Ariel. Portia. Capulet..."

Montague gasped, but not in pain this time. _Hiromi-!_

Riche screeched to a stop, making Montague roll off the hood and crash to the ground.

"I'll be sure to get Capulet first – two lovers together, hm?" Riche chuckled. "Now then..." And then he drove forward as fast as he could, right for Montague's prone body.

And then he was forced to stop. "What the-?" he said, revving the engine and trying to move. The tires squealed on the pavement, but he didn't move more than a few centimeters. "What's this?"

Montague stayed where she lay, but her hands were tightly gripping one of the front tires of the Usotsuki. They trembled from pain and the effort, but she still held fast. Her gloves tore slightly, the rubber tires made new, smaller wounds on the exposed flesh, but still she held on. Her teeth grit as she turned her head to look up. "You...won't...touch her..." she growled. "I'm...I'm going to fight..._You won't touch Hiromi!"_

"Listen, Montague, I know you care about her a great deal," Riche sighed, as if talking to a four-year-old. "But what makes you think you can keep fighting? Especially in your current state? You can barely stand. You can't fight. Why do you think you can possibly stop me?"

"Maybe I'll be defeated in five seconds," Montague gasped out. "Or five minutes...either way, I won't give up until the very end. I won't...go out without a fight, I won't let you go as long as I breathe! I'm going to protect Hiromi! _I'm going to protect the person I love! And then I'm going to give her the best day she ever had – because she deserves that much and more!"_

There was a blast of white light, obscuring everything from view.

Riche drew backwards in shock, his eyes squinted shut. "What in-?"

Inside a void of cool light, Montague was held up into the air by a strange force, her wounds healing and her energy being restored as the light washed over her. Her Cure outfit was replaced by sheets of pale blue light, draped about her like a long, flowing chiton.

Automatically, she held her hand up to see her Cure Signet was glowing the same soft blue as the sheets. Then it morphed its shape, and the light burst apart into tiny sparks. The Cure Signet was now a thin silver band. Two tiny gold hearts were on either side of a pale blue rose, a tiny diamond twinkling in the center of the flower.

"With this..." Montague began before she frowned, nodding in determination. She gently kissed the ring before clasping her hands over her chest. **"Pretty Cure! Love's Song!"**

The sheets wrapped around her like a flower bud before bursting apart into glowing hearts and sparks.

The light slowly faded to a point where Riche could crack open one eye without discomfort. "What just..." he muttered.

Montague slowly floated down to the middle of the foot, gracefully touching down toes-first.

She now wore a more elaborate dress with layers of skirt and ribbon. She had white gloves that reached the middle of her upper arms, pale lilac ribbons around the wrists, and a pale lilac ribbon choker. The sleeves of the dress were short and puffy, an off-white color with a pale lilac cuffs. Over her chest was a large bow the same color as her ribbons, with a large, violet heart-shaped brooch. A sky blue corset with pale lilac ribbons crisscrossing over the front was around her abdomen, and it was slightly parted to show the white bodice beneath. All along the bottom of the corset were pearls the same color of her ribbons, and a sheer, glittery light blue fabric descended from it to form the topmost layer of skirt. Beneath that was an asymmetrical, ruffled sky blue skirt over another, lilac skirt that touched her mid-thighs. She wore white thigh-high stockings that slowly shifted to sky blue as it went towards her feet, the tops of the stockings had a strand of pearls attached to the fabric. On her feet were white high heels, and the small of her back sported a large bow made of the same material as her shimmery top-skirt, the tails fanning out and going all the way down to mid-calf. On her head was a silver tiara with violet jewels; four egg-shaped and one large heart in the center. Heart-shaped earrings adorned her ears; violet jewels with silver setting.

Her hair had changed now too; it fanned out from either side of her head, fluffier than before, the bangs side-swept. Her ponytail was longer and fuller now, spiraling into a drill curl as it reached the end. Instead of the dark blue it had once been, now it was a soft sky-blue with pale purple undertones.

She smiled confidently, running her fingers through the top of her long ponytail before tossing it, a picture of cool elegance. **"Abundant sincere love, Lovely Cure Montague!"**

"So this is what Tamora was talking about..." Riche muttered under his breath. "Well, that's just fine by me!" He revved the engine again, driving forward-

And then Lovely Montague snapped her arms forward, slamming her hands against the hood of the car. The car was forced to stop, tires skidding uselessly. Riche gaped at the hood itself; where Lovely Montague had grabbed it, the metal had crumpled like tissue paper. "Hup!" Lovely Montague shoved the car backwards, sending it down the street.

"I have a _date!_" yelled Lovely Montague. She clapped her hands together before throwing her arms out in front of herself, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. In a burst of purple light, her Rapier Wand reappeared, spinning slowly until Montague snatched it from the air, briefly whipping it up over her head before holding it before herself. **"Sound of the Bells! A Lovely Song! Pretty Cure..."** She slowly traced a giant heart in the air before her, leaving a trail of violet and blue light, sparks, and interweaving light ribbons. **"Amethyst Sincere..."** The heart suddenly pulsed and double in size, then tripled, the light sparking and flaring like gold fire. **"...Shoot!"** At that word, Lovely Montague thrust her Rapier Wand forward, and the heart shot towards Riche.

The heart of light enveloped Riche entirely, Riche screaming as shreds of darkness evaporated from him, the car part of the Usotsuki vanished.

Riche grabbed at his chest, growling quietly. "Cure Montague..." he snarled, then teleported away.

As the damage done to the town reversed itself, Lovely Montague shifted back to Aki in a flash of purple light. "Hiromi..."

* * *

><p>Hiromi sat where Aki had left her, idly dabbing coffee from her skirt with a napkin.<p>

A waitress approached, holding out a few more. "Do you need...?"

"Oh, no thank you," Hiromi said as she looked up, smiling gently. "I think I've got most of it out-"

"Hiromi!"

"Aki?" Hiromi blinked as Aki ran towards her, carrying a bottle of lemon juice and a handkerchief.

Aki skidded to a stop, panting and out of breath. "I...I got you the – Huh?!" she cried, spotting Hiromi's skirt. "I-It's gone?!"

"Y-Yeah, I caught it in time and just used a little water," Hiromi admitted sheepishly.

Aki sighed, dropping into her seat and staring sadly at her hands. "I'm sorry, Hiromi," she mumbled.

"Hm?"

"I just...everything's gone wrong. Again. I care about you so much, you know. And...and I just couldn't help but think about our first official date as a couple, not the 'you wanna do something' date, but the official 'we are a thing' date and...And how it was just a big disaster! And I wanted to give you some _nice_ memories about it but..." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "But I messed it up. I'm sorry, Hiromi..."

Hiromi stared blankly for a moment, trying to process all that. Finally, she spoke, and... "Neither date was a disaster, Aki...I had great memories already."

"Hah?" Aki lifted her head to stare at Hiromi. Her girlfriend was smiling sweetly.

"I was happy during that date, and I was happy during this one too. I didn't think it was bad, I wasn't upset...My memories were great, really! Like..." She lifted her gaze a little, clearly recalling each incident with perfect clarity. "When the crepe place was closed, we found that little hole-in-the-wall ramen place instead. And it was delicious! The ducks weren't there, no, but we still got to stand by the water and just enjoy nature. And the movie was bad, sure, but I thought that was on purpose! I thought we were supposed to laugh at it together, I had fun doing that. And even though I spilled my coffee that time too, I wasn't upset by that. It was just a tiny little accident, and it washed out!

"I really had fun on that date. I had no idea you were bothered by it so much, Aki... If I'd known, I would have reassured you. I'm sorry." Hiromi frowned.

"B-But-!" Aki sputtered, blushing faintly. "But everything went wrong! It was supposed to be perfect and it just-!"

"Aki...any time we spend together is perfect. I enjoyed both dates because I got to be with _you,"_ Hiromi said, blushing herself.

Aki turned bright red then, sputtering incoherently before lunging at Hiromi and wrapping her arms around her tightly. "Waaaaah! Hiromi, I love you so muuuuuch!" she wailed comically.

Hiromi laughed, her own face just as red, and hugged back.

* * *

><p>"You were going on a date and you didn't <em>once<em> think of coming here?!" Yuki demanded angrily as he walked to their table.

Aki grinned and shrugged. "Sorry..."

"You thought I'd be a damper, didn't you? A third wheel!"

"How could you be a third wheel? You're not dating us..." Hiromi mumbled, blinking.

"Shush, you know what I mean," Yuki snapped. He set down their plates of lava cake and two cups of coffee. "Well, enjoy them, guys."

"Oh don't worry," said Aki, smiling shyly at Hiromi, a faint pink blush coloring her cheeks. "We will."

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "Story-time, children!"

Otome: "Aw, have fun!"

Miho: "Ah, Otome, you've worked with kids!"

Aki: "Hey, Otome can help then!"

Otome: "Ah, really? Well it's been a while but... Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Big Sister Otome? The Magic Story Circle!' Let love heal your heart!"


	23. Chapter 23

"I didn't know Hiromi volunteered at the library," Otome murmured.

"She hasn't had a lot of time lately because of Pretty Cure," said Aki. "But yeah, when she has the time she does."

The group stood outside the library doors, which were open to let in the cool air. Hiromi was inside, speaking to one of the librarians. As the others watched, two small children spotted her and ran over, hugging her legs. Hiromi laughed, patted their heads and said something the others couldn't hear. But whatever it was, the kids were happy.

Otome smiled at the sight of them. It sure had been a while...

_"Otome-nee! Let's play, let's play!"_

_"She's playing with me, you wait your turn!"_

_"But she wants to play tag now, not boring tea party! Otome-nee, play tag!"_

_"Ahaha, okay, you two, okay, how's this? I'll finish my tea, and then we'll all play tag together. Deal?"_

_"Okay!"_

_"Alright then! Sip sip sip..."_

Her smile became a frown as she bit her lip. What happened to those kids? She'd been told that Punch had been able to take some citizens and hide them someplace safe. Were the kids included in that bunch, or had they... Well, she wasn't sure what had happened to the people of Kokoro, exactly. They'd been absorbed and that was it...There was a chance they were alive, wasn't there?

"Okay!"

Otome blinked, snapping back to reality as Hiromi came over, smiling. "Sorry about that, but I just had to say hello!"

"It's no big deal, Hiromi," said Miho with a shrug. She grinned. "The kids seem to like you."

"You think so?" Hiromi laughed, holding a hand behind her head. The same children who had run up to her earlier approached her again, holding hands with the librarian. Both of them smiled at Hiromi at adoration, then regarded the other three girls in curiosity.

"Miss Satou? I'm very sorry, but do you think you could please come to Kids' Corner for just a few days at least?" the librarian asked. "Natsumi and Haru really want to see you again."

"Please?" one of the children, a little girl with dark brown buns in her hair, asked.

"Well..." Hiromi frowned, then smiled. "If my friends can help!"

"...eh?" Miho and Aki said together.

_"Really?"_ gasped Otome.

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>"You guys don't mind, do you?" Hiromi asked as they walked home. "I know I should have asked you first but...but I thought it'd be really nice for us to do it <em>together<em>, you know, because we're friends and-" She was started to talk faster now, her head lowered so the setting sun glinted off her glasses and obscured her eyes.

Aki laughed and patted Hiromi on the head. "Hiromi, it's fine! I'm uh...not that great with kids, but I bet it'll be okay. Just for a few days, right?"

"W-Well yeah...probably three or so, that's what Miss Sakie asked." Hiromi explained that with Kids' Corner, it was more like a daycare than anything: the library was a safe, fun place for parents to leave their children at no charge, so a lot of people did just that. Over the years, the librarians had finally decided to section off a little room just for those children, stuff it with toys and books and colorful posters, and offer to watch the younger kids there. Every day there was a snack and Group Story Circle, and then the kids were free to do whatever they wished, so long as it wasn't too loud and they stayed in that room. "But it'll be okay, even if you say you're not good with kids! Most of them are really easy to look after!"

"I'm no good either..." Miho muttered. "I'm good with Pochi but you can't treat a dog like a kid."

"I'm a kid, datchu!" Ti shouted, popping out of Hiromi's bag.

"Fairies aren't quite the same as human kids...But I'll still give a shot!"

"Me too," said Aki. "How about you, Otome?"

"Of course~!" Otome was grinning ear to ear. "I love kids!" she exclaimed. "This is going to be fun!"

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Big Sister Otome? The Magic Story Circle!<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning, the four girls were gathered in front of the library, Ti and Coffee stowed away in Hiromi's bag as usual. Three of the girls were staring at the fourth in a mixture of amusement and confusion.<p>

Otome stood there, holding a large cardboard box in her arms, and was smiling as if her birthday had come early.

"So...what's in there?" Miho asked, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"I asked at the house but she wouldn't tell me," Aki said with a sigh.

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise!" Otome laughed as she set the box down. She then pulled open the flaps to reveal- "Tada! I brought all the things the kids back home used to love. Jumping ropes, chalk if they want to draw on the roads, a few balls, some rackets..."

"Why?" asked Miho, deadpan.

"To play with!"

Hiromi smiled awkardly, face tinting pink. "U-Uhm, Otome, I get you're excited, but these kids aren't...quite like what you're expecting."

"Huh?" Otome looked up, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean?"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, she knew exactly what Hiromi meant.<p>

She stood awkwardly in the doorway to the children's room, still holding the box. As the others wandered inside to mingle with the kids, Otome just stood there, staring. It was...almost unnatural.

All the kids, who looked to be between the ages four and seven, were being _quiet_. They sat in beanbag chairs, on little cushions in adorable shapes like flowers or strawberries, on the colorful rug that looked like a town... Many of them were holding picture books, even if they were too little to know how to read. The others were quietly holding dolls and bears, or staring out the window, or quietly speaking to their parents as they were dropped off, and one little boy over in the corner was napping.

This was...uhm...strange. They were all _quiet_. Oh, they all had some energy to them, yes, but none of them were screaming, or running around, or banging toys together or demanding to play outside.

And all the toys Otome had were outdoor ones...

"Missus Lady?" Otome felt a tugging on her skirt and looked down.

The little girl with the buns was there, staring wide-eyed at her. She held the hand of the boy who'd been with her too – a little boy with black hair in a bowl cut and the same eyes as her. The little girl spoke again. "Missus Lady, Hiromi-nee sent Haru an' me to see if you wanna read to us." Otome only then noticed that in the boy – Haru's other hand, was a book.

"Well, ah...sure!" Otome smiled, setting her box down. Well, just because this was a little outside her area of expertise didn't mean she could refuse them! She let the duo drag her by the hand towards a corner of the room, half hidden by a book shelf. The librarian in charge of this area apparently hadn't wanted to push the shelf all the way into the corner, leaving a small space of floor left. That was where the kids let her sit before sitting in front of her and handing her the book.

Otome laughed awkwardly as she took their book and opened it. _What quiet kids,_ she thought again. "Uhm...By the way, I'm Otome! What are your names?"

"Natsumi," said the little girl. "An' this is my brother, Haru."

"Hi," Haru mumbled, picking lint off the carpet.

There was an awkward silence.

"Please read, Missus Otome?" Natsumi asked.

"Huh? Oh, sure..."

And she started to read. The kids had picked a story she'd never heard of, and that honestly shouldn't have come as a surprise. She didn't mind so much, and just continued reading. But the problem was...

Two minutes later she lowered the book to stare over the top. The two kids stared back.

"I, uh..." Otome laughed sheepishly, tilting her head a bit. "I was wondering if you guys were still here."

"Yup," said Natsumi, rather simply.

There was another long, awkward silence. Otome forced a laugh. "Because...because I'd feel really silly sitting here and reading to you if you were gone!"

"Yup." Haru spoke this time.

There was just more silence. Finally, Otome cleared her throat and looked back at her book, face bright red. "A-Anyways..."

She finished the book a few minutes later, closing it and setting it aside as she exhaled deeply. "Phew, I haven't read like that in a while!" She looked back at the kids, unsure if she should smile again or just keep a straight face. They were just staring quietly, not doing anything. "Do you, uhm..." She looked up, seeing how some of the others in the room were playing with toys now. Really it looked more like a kindergarten than a reading room. "Oh! You wanna play dinosaurs? There's a box over there!" she said, pointing to the little plastic tub of toys.

Natsumi shook her head, hugging her legs to her chest.

"Uhm...I brought a jumping rope today! You wanna go outside and play with it?"

"We're not allowed to go outside til Mommy picks us up," said Haru.

"Uh...how about Go Fish?" Otome tried meekly.

Both kids shook their heads, looking at the ground. "Can you read another story?" asked Natsumi.

"...yeah."

* * *

><p>"So, how was everyone's day?" Hiromi asked as they walked home.<p>

Miho grinned. "Pretty good, actually! I haven't played with dinosaurs since I was a kid!"

Aki was smiling too. "Ti and Coffee were pretty good at pretending to be stuffed animals for teatime."

"Even though it wasn't real tea, datchu..."

"And you said not to make sippy noises," grumbled Coffee.

Hiromi giggled behind her hand. "I was a little worried when Miss Sakie asked me to leave with her, but it seems like everything went okay!"

Otome just sighed.

Things had been...well for her, they'd been the same the whole day. Natsumi and Haru wanted her to read to them, one book after another, and no matter how she tried, they wouldn't go play with the other children. Oh, they joined them for Group Story Circle, but then when that was over they drifted back to that corner and sat alone with her. More than once she'd looked to the rest of the room to see Miho destroying a block town with three kids and plastic dinosaurs, Aki clinking plastic teacups with other kids, Hiromi breaking up a little argument... And Natsumi and Haru just asked for another book please thank you.

"How about you, Otome?"

"Haaagh..."

* * *

><p>"Haaaaagh!" Otome sighed loudly as she flopped backwards onto her bed, arms thrown over her eyes.<p>

Aki laughed, sitting on the foot of the bed. "Rough day at the library then? I liked it!"

"Aki, it's...it's so strange! No, I mean-" Otome sighed again and pulled her arms down so they rested across her stomach. _"They're_ not strange, that's not what I meant. I'm..." She trailed off. How do you say something like this?

Aki just stared, waiting.

Otome drew in a deep breath. "Okay...Back in Kokoro, I worked in an orphanage, the same one I grew up in. I love kids, and they normally love me. But the kids I always looked after..."

* * *

><p><em>"Otome-nee! Otome-nee, help!" A boy ran up the hill and scrambled into Otome's waiting arms, latching around her neck. "The monster's gonna get me!"<em>

_A little girl ran up just then, her fingers curled like claws. "Gimme the boy!" she yelled. "Gimme the boy!"_

_"Noooo!" the boy shouted, but there was a clear laugh beneath it._

_"I'll save you!" Otome laughed herself as she ran, slow enough for the girl to keep up but fast enough to entertain them both._

* * *

><p>"And we'd play and run and yell until the kids were so tired I'd have to carry them on my back when it was dinnertime. They'd be so worn out by the end of the day they would drop straight to sleep, and then in the morning they were full of energy all over again. They were so <em>energetic<em> and there was always lots of _noise_ around me, and...I'm more used to dealing with those kinds of kids. With these guys... I dunno what to do with them! All they wanted me to do was read one book after another, and they didn't say anything to me at all! How do I interact with them, how do I make them my _friends?"_ Otome punctuated her rant with another loud sigh, rolling onto her stomach and smooshing her face into the pillow.

Aki was quiet for a few moments, then Otome felt her get up off the bed. At first she wasn't sure what Aki was doing – maybe her venting had scared her? - but then something was held to her ear and she heard a faint buzzing. Lifting her head from the pillow confirmed her suspicions: Aki was grinning and holding out her cell phone next to Otome's head.

"Hello?" a familiar, tinny voice said on the other line.

Aki mouthed 'Tell her' at Otome, and pressed the phone into the older girl's hands.

"Hello?"

"Ah...Hiromi? It's Otome..." she began awkwardly, staring incredulously at Aki. "Okay, I just told Aki this already but..."

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner. _

* * *

><p>Tamora sat alone in Heartbreak Manor, sulking. She held Ichiko in her arms as she rested her cheek against the table, where tea was cooling off.<p>

"Stupid Lady...she didn't have to take my Heartbreak Brooch away..." she muttered.

_"You're clearly too injured and not thinking clearly," said Lady, gently undoing the clasp on the brooch. "Until you recover and can fight with a clear head, I'm confiscating this."_

Tamora kicked the table leg in frustration. "It's not fair! Riche failed too, and she's not punishing _him_! Why do I get all the bad luck?" She pouted again, hugging Ichiko tighter.

Hm, but who said she had to stay here while her brooch was confiscated, huh?

* * *

><p>The next day, the girls returned to the library, smiling and saying hello to the staff. Otome was a little more subdued, thinking on what Hiromi had told her the night before.<p>

They approached the kids' room and she saw Haru and Natsumi. A look of determination appeared on her face, and she pumped her fists. Okay...okay, this time, she'd get this right!

She approached the corner the kids were occupying, and Natsumi looked up. "Hi, Missus Otome," she mumbled. "We're not playing dinos or tea today, okay?"

Otome just smiled. "That's fine. I bet you'd rather hear more books anyway, huh?"

The kids looked surprised, but Otome just smiled warmly.

_"First off, don't ask them to play with the other kids. Don't mention it at all. The Daidouji siblings are shy around other children, and they don't really want to play with them. And that's fine, you have to let them know it's okay."_

"So!" Otome clapped her hands on her knees. "What's today's book?"

_"And actually get invested in what they pick."_

"Uhm..." Natsumi looked nervous, but she still smiled. Otome felt a small twinge of pride at that. The little girl held up a book then, and Otome took it to look at the cover.

"Momotaro...you know, I've never actually heard this story?"

The kids gasped. "Never-ever?" asked Haru.

"Well, I'm not from around here, you see..." Otome explained, sitting with her back to the corner. "Where I'm from we have different stories, and I don't remember anything like this."

Natsumi wormed her way under Otome's arms and book to sit in her lap, head tilted back so she could look up at her. "Can you tell us one?"

"Well, sure! After we read Momotaro, anyway. I wonder what's going to happen?"

Haru's eyes grew big, and he joined his sister on Otome's lap. "It's cool! Momotaro comes out of a peach, and then he goes to fight the ogres and-"

"Har-ruuuuuu!" whined Natsumi, her lower lip sticking out somewhat. "Don't ruin the story!"

_"So if you do those two things, and actually talk to them a little more, they'll be a lot more receptive to you!"_

* * *

><p>Snack time rolled around, and Otome found herself being tugged over to the low table. Natsumi and Haru each held one of her hands, excitedly talking to her as they sat down on the plush cushions and accepted the panda-shaped graham crackers and pineapple juice.<p>

_"They're just shy is all. They're really sweet kids, I promise."_

Hiromi smiled from her seat across the table.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed as joyfully as the first half.<p>

Otome and the kids didn't leave their book nook, but that was just fine. The kids asked for her to share some of her own stories, and she read some of theirs – they alternated, and that worked out just fine. Haru fell asleep on Otome's shoulder at one point, so she only read to Natsumi until their mother came to collect them. Haru woke up a little as the woman picked him up, and he sleepily waved at the same time Natsumi did.

"We've got one more day," said Hiromi as they walked home. "Is that alright?"

"Just oooone?" Otome whined, shoulders slumping. "I like those kids!"

Everyone else laughed.

* * *

><p>The next day when they arrived, Haru and Natsumi looked up excitedly.<p>

"Missus Otome!" they called, waving her over.

Hiromi blinked, looking at the cerise-haired girl in pleased surprise. "Looks like my advice paid off!"

"Yes, so it seems," chuckled Otome. "Is it alright if I stay with them today too?" When Hiromi nodded wordlessly, Otome grinned. "Great! Thanks...Hi, you two!" she laughed as she approached the children and sat down again. "What book are we looking at today?"

Haru and Natsumi looked at each other. "Uhm, actually..."

"Actually?"

Natsumi held up a small box of crayons. Only then did Otome notice that the book in front of them was a coloring book. From the looks of the two pages it was open to, it had a theme of fairy tales; a pumpkin coach was on one page, and the half-colored page was a gingerbread house. Otome blinked, then smiled in understanding. "Ohhh, you want to color today?"

"Uh-huh..."

Otome lay on her stomach and took a crayon. "Alright, then I'll color these gumdrops. How's that?"

The kids nodded, and for a while they colored in silence. Otome kept stealing glances at the siblings. They seemed to be alright, showing no outward signs of sadness knowing that this was her last day. Maybe they were more mature than Otome had initially given them credit for.

"Hey, I'll really miss you kids, you know?" Otome said at last, hoping to get some sort of reaction.

They nodded. "We know," they said together.

But the next part was only said by Haru. "We'll miss you too...But it's okay, because Mommy says people never really leave. She says you're in our hearts all the time now, and you might visit."

_I...I think that advice works better with a different kind of 'leave,'_ Otome couldn't help but think. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hiromi called out to her just then.

"Otome! Miss Sakie and I have to go to the convenience story!" Hiromi cried in distress.

Miho frowned, holding a squirming girl. _"Someone_ ate our graham crackers," she explained.

"Will you girls be okay by yourselves for a bit?" asked Miss Sakie.

"You worry too much, we'll be fine!" said Aki.

"Aki, you barely know her."

"Shush, Miho."

"Well, if you're certain..." Miss Sakie said quietly, but she was already gathering her purse. Everyone waved her off as she and Hiromi left the room, promising to be back in a few minutes.

A short time later, Aki stood up, taking one child's hand. "I gotta walk Kenta to the bathroom," she said. "Be back!"

"Ah, Mei!" Miho cried in dismay. "I tore the book! C'mon, let's see if there's any tape at the front desk."

And for what she suspected would be just a minute, it was just Otome with the kids. She drew in a deep breath. May as well say it now. "Hey, you two-"

"What the heck are you doing?"

Otome jumped, looking up to see- "T-Tamora? What are you- Why-?"

The siblings stared at the strange newcomer in curiosity. "Missus Otome, what's she wearing?" whispered Haru.

"Is she a princess?" Natsumi asked.

"N-Not exactl-"

"I never thought Kokoro's Pretty Cure would spend her time here, coloring with kids...Playing. You really don't care about Shylock at all, do you?!" Tamora snapped, withdrawing a Heartbreak Marker.

Tamora uncapped the marker and swiftly drew a slashed heart symbol in the air. _"Fall into heartbreaking despair!"_ she screamed, and flung her arm out.

The symbol...exploded, sending tinier versions of itself all over the library, drifting through walls, the ceiling, to reach everyone inside.

The children all fell to their knees, sobbing loudly with tears and snot dripping down their faces. Haru and Natsumi clung to each other even in their anguish, black auras pulsating in time to their cries.

"Natsumi! Haru!" screamed Otome.

_"Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world~!"_ Tamora shouted, holding her arms out.

At Heartbreak Manor, the water over the falls suddenly turned black, frothing and churning harder than ever before it continued over the edge of the cliffside, black lightning dancing over the water's surface.

"And finally..._Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come on out, Usotsuki!"_

The symbol shot towards the open page in the book, enveloping the book in purple light. Before the transformation could be finished, Otome grabbed it and hurled it out the window, shattering the glass from the force of her throw. Outside, in midair, the book flashed, and then an Usotsuki stood where the cart once was. It resembled a giant gingerbread house, if the house had arms and legs made of licorice whips, gumdrops for hands and feet. The chocolate-bar shutters flung open, revealing angry red glows behind the windows, and the door opened to reveal the same glow. "USOOOO!"

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song! The everlasting love in a maiden's heart, Cure Ariel!"**

Ariel was in motion the second she was finished transforming.

She leaped straight at the Usotsuki, smacking into its center and propelling both of them through the window and into the yard. Glass shattered around them to litter the grass, scratching her and tearing her clothes, but neither paid any mind to it.

The Usotsuki threw Ariel away from her as they landed. Ariel twisted her body in mid-air so she could land on her feet; her heels dug into the ground and upturned some soil as she shot forward again...

..past the Usotsuki and towards Tamora.

"Tamora!" she yelled, arms open.

"H-hey, this isn't fair!" Tamora screamed, eyes widening in alarm. "Usotsuki!"

"USO!" the monster responded, swinging an arm at Ariel and catching her in the side.

With a short cry, the teal Cure was sent crashing against the side of the library, sending up a thick cloud of dust and splinters. Tamora smirked, but it was short-lived as Ariel's form could be seen getting back up and charging for her again. "What the- Leave me alone!" Tamora yelled again, stomping her foot and hugging Ichiko tightly.

"Tamora, listen to me-!" Ariel began, only to be met with the Usotsuki's fist. This time she skidded along the ground, grass and dirt flying in her wake. But of course, not even that was enough to deter her. She just planted her hands against the ground, flung herself back up and ran for Tamora again. "Stop-"

"USO!" The Usotsuki charged forward.

"Ignoring-!" Ariel yelled furiously as she leaped high into the air.

The Usotsuki stopped briefly, looking up in surprise – the fight had been brief, but she'd been an easy target, so why now-

And Ariel slammed back down on the Usotsuki, digging her heels between its eyes before using him as a springboard.. "Me!" she finished as she landed on the ground. This time, however, she didn't run for Tamora. Instead she turned on one heel, drawing her fist back and slammed it against the Usotsuki.

"U-Usoooo?!" it cried as it flew backwards, leaving twin trails of upturned earth just as Ariel did.

"And you quit interrupting! **Sound of the Bells! Heart-Soul Bow! Pretty Cure Lovely Arrow!"**

The light arrows shot for the Usotsuki and tore right through it, leaving a sea-green, glowing heart-shaped hole in it. "U-Uso..." it murmured weakly, the light disintegrating it from within.

Tamora took a step back as Ariel turned back around, ignoring how all the damage done was restoring itself. The Cure had been trying to get to her this whole battle, and now... "Y-You stay away!" she yelled, preparing to teleport as Ariel rushed towards her, too fast, way too fast-

And she blinked in surprise and confusion as Ariel wrapped her arms around her tightly, her chin on Tamora's shoulder.

"Listen. To. Me," Ariel whispered, squeezing Tamora slightly. "I _swear_ to you, I didn't intend for Shylock to die...None of us did, it wasn't any of our faults."

"I...I know that!" Tamora managed to say past the lump in her throat that had suddenly formed at the mention of Shylock's name. "W-We were told that Break had to...Break had to punish him-"

"You're angry at us, though. You blame us. You think that if Shylock hadn't helped me, he'd still be there, right?" Ariel said, her own voice thick.

There was a long pause. Then Tamora nodded weakly. "It's all your faults..."

"Tamora, please, I... I can't change how you think of me, but do you think Shylock would have wanted me locked up in there? That's what I tell myself every day. Every time I think that if he hadn't helped then maybe he'd be with us, that's what I have to tell myself. He would have gotten me out eventually, and then...I don't know what would have happened next. Maybe he'd be here, maybe he wouldn't, I don't know, but I can't change anything I can't fix it no matter how much I want to Tamora and neither can you!" Ariel sobbed a little, squeezing Tamora.

"I..." Tamora sniffled, eyes shiny. "I just thought...Sh-Shylock has to be avenged, it's your faults he's gone so he has to be-"

"Tamora...Tamora, his last act was saving me...Do you think this is what he'd want?"

"...no." Tamora sobbed and finally lifted her arms to hug Otome back, eyes squeezing shut as a few tears leaked out. "No, it's not, but...But I'm so mad, it hurts so much, I have to do something..."

"I know...I know but-"

**"Tamora."**

Tamora and Ariel both gasped at the sudden deep, rumbling voice. Tamora frantically broke out Ariel's hug. "L-Lord Break?!"

**"I do not sense your presence in the manor. Return home at once!"**

"Y-Yes, Break!"

"Tamora!"

Tamora turned to face Ariel, her eyes wide and shining.

Ariel had a distressed look on her face. "Tamora...please consider what I said. We're still friends, I want us to still be friends...Please, don't keep doing this."

Tamora paused for a moment, then drew her mouth into a thin line and looked away. Wordlessly, she teleported home.

* * *

><p>"Haru? Natsumi? C'mon, kids, wake up..."<p>

The siblings slowly opened their eyes, finding themselves lying on their backs with their heads on Otome's lap. Haru blinked once before looking straight up at Otome. "Otome-nee?" he mumbled. "What happened?"

Otome smiled, gently smoothing back Haru's bangs. "You kids got worn out from coloring and decided to take a nap. Right here on the floor~ It was so cute!"

"Ehhh?"

Just then, Hiromi and Miss Sakie returned. "We're back!"

"Us too~!" chorused Aki and Miho.

"And we've got a special treat today..." Miss Sakie smiled as she reached into the plastic bag. "Since it's our new friends' last day, and Miss Satou won't be back for quite some time, I thought it'd be nice to have a special snack." As the kids gathered around the table, she withdrew the boxes with a flourish. "_Chocolate_ graham crackers and hazelnut spread~!"

"Yeeeeaaah~!" the children all cheered.

Later, as Natsumi and Haru finished their snack, Natsumi giggling as Otome wiped hazelnut spread from her cheek, they pulled out the coloring book from earlier. "Otome-nee," whispered Natsumi. "We were makin' something before you came here."

"Oh?"

"Here." Natsumi gently placed a sheet of paper into Otome's hands.

The paper was a crude crayon drawing, the sort of simple charm only a child could achieve. It showed a bunch of stick figures, some of them with distinguishing colors and features (Otome laughed to see one figure with a blob of brown on her head and two circles for glasses), but the three in the middle were more detailed.

One tall stick figure with a blob of pink stood holding hands with two smaller figures, one with two brown circles and one with a few black lines. Huge smiles had been drawn on their faces, and Natsumi had written in huge, blocky letters "I know Momotaro now!" above stick-figure-Otome.

"A-Awwww, you guys~!" Otome said, a grin slowly working its way across her face, cheeks tinting pink. She laughed, wrapping them both in a big hug. "Thank you so much~! Listen, before I forget...I want you guys to know, you're gonna live in my heart too, okay? You two taught me a whole lot, and I'm never going to forget it. And you taught me new stories, and you're just the cutest, sweetest kiddos ever! I don't know when we'll meet again, but I'm always going to consider you two my friends, alright?"

The kids just smiled, nodding once. "Okay!"

Otome laughed again, once more wrapping them in a hug. Jeez, that was a kid for you...

"Hey, Otome-nee," began Haru.

"Can you show up jump-rope before you go?"

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Miho: "A sleepover! It's been forever since I attended one!"

Aki: "And Mirai says she knows some great scary stories for when it gets late!"

Hiromi: "A-Ah, Aki, maybe it's not such a good idea-"

Aki: "Oh come on, it's just made-up, right?"

Otome: "If you say so...Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'No Sleeping At This Sleepover! Don't Split Up!' Let love heal your heart!"


	24. Chapter 24

"Okay, and there's chips, popcorn, candy, soda..."

"Is there a place set up for Ti and Coffee?"

"Yup!" Aki grinned toothily at Otome, both girls already in their pajamas. "I got a little cardboard box for them to sleep in, in the rec room. This way we won't roll over them by accident."

"Good, that's good..." Otome looked around the rec room one more time. "Are you sure this is everything?"

Aki laughed, setting a hand on Otome's shoulder. "Otome. Girl. _Relax_, everything's going to be fine. Your first sleepover is going to be terrific!"

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, Riche sat idly sipping tea. Across from him sat Lady and Tamora; Lady was gently offering the younger girl some tea herself.<p>

"Please, Tamora, dear, have some. You'll feel better..."

"I don't want any!" Tamora snapped, hugging Ichiko tightly.

Lady sighed. "Tamora, sweetie, you need to eat something. Or drink. This is jasmine tea, it'll relax you-"

"I don't want iiiiit!" Tamora whined and turned away from Lady, curling into a fetal ball.

Now it was Riche's turn to sigh, replacing the cup on its saucer. "Leave her be, darling. She's probably just upset over her recent losses. But you should drink something," he added, raising an eyebrow.

Tamora just sat there. "...Ariel said she was my friend," she said at last, catching the other two off-guard. "She said she wanted to be my friend. Is it weird that I want to be her friend too? If she came back to us, if she stopped being a Cure, maybe we could be..."

"Tamora! You mustn't think like that!" Lady scolded.

Scowling, Riche stood up, dusting off his hands. "Well, I suppose I'll leave you two alone for now. I believe I'll pay Ariel a small visit."

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: No Sleeping At This Sleepover! Don't Split Up!<p>

* * *

><p>"Are you sure everything's okay?" Otome asked later that evening as she followed Aki down the hall.<p>

"Everything will be _fine_, Otome~"

Otome looked out the window at the darkening sky – not just darkening because of the inevitable nightfall, but also for the thick, angry-looking clouds drifting in. "But what if-"

"Otome." Aki turned around and planted her hands on Otome's shoulders, fixing her with a stern expression. "Re-_lax_. Everyone said they were fine with it, remember?"

Well, Otome hadn't been _there_, but...

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, you guys~!" Aki grinned as she slammed her hands down on Yuki's desk, glancing between him and Antoinette. "Hey, remember Otome?"<em>

_"The foreigner, right?" Mirai said as she approached with Hiromi._

_"She's just from the island..."_

_Mirai shook her head. "No, I can tell...Ah, a-anyway, what about her? Is something wrong?"_

_"Not quite," Aki said, frowning lightly. "Well, I was just thinking – we're at school for half the day, and then Yuki goes to work, Mirai and Antoinette have the bunnies...She's only with Miho for half a day, and I was thinking, it might be kinda lonely."_

_Antoinette propped her chin on her hand. "And you were thinking we'd like to spend a day with her outside of school or festivals? I'm all for it, Aki~!"_

_"Welllll, I was thinking more like a night," Aki admitted, rubbing the back of her neck._

_Hiromi, who had been silent, glancing between everyone this whole time, finally couldn't take it anymore. "We want to have a slumber party!" she cried, face pink._

_"...ehhhh?" everyone chorused._

* * *

><p>"And after they got over that little bit of confusion – ahaha, seriously, none of us thought <em>Hiromi<em> would be the one to say it – they were all for it! They like you, Otome, they want to come over and hang out, and pig out, and all those great things about sleepovers!"

Otome still didn't say anything.

Aki's smile faded and became a concerned expression. "...you're still nervous."

"Yeah...people my age are different than little kids, and adults...And I used to think I was good with kids, and then I met the Daidouji twins." Otome's eyes widened and she began waving her hands frantically. "N-Not that I don't like them! They're adorable, really, I just wasn't expecting-!" She stopped, sighed, and tried to get back on track. "Look...Most of the people who knew me well in Kokoro were children and adults. Hardly anyone my own age talked to me. You guys are the first real friends I've had outside of Shylock. And like...yeah, we went to a festival together, and we're Pretty Cure, and you invited me to your beach house but... What if I can't be friends with anyone else? What if all I'm good at being friends with is other Pretty Cure? What if the other three don't like me?"

Aki stared for a few moments, and for a second Otome feared she'd just say something like 'Don't be silly, of course they'll like you!' But instead, Aki smiled again and said "Then we don't have to do this again and you don't have to hang out with them again."

Just then the doorbell rang and Sebastian went to answer it. Aki and Otome came up behind him just as the door was opening, revealing the rest of the group standing outside, bags slung over shoulders or in arms.

"It's just weird, Antoinette!" Yuki was yelling, apparently not realizing that the others could see and hear him now. "I'm one guy at a sleepover with a bunch of girls! There's nothing for me to do – you're all gonna be talking about make-up and hair, and give each other makeovers, and I have _no_ desire to try that Passion Dynamite lipstick you keep talking about!"

"Oh, please, it's not even your color," Antoinette said with a deadpan expression.

Sebastian cleared his throat, causing everyone to face forward and smile. "Hi, guys!" Yuki called. "Hi again, Otome!"

"Hello!" Mirai said from behind the rest of the group.

As Aki and Otome called out their own greetings, Sebastian stepped off to the side. "Come in then, everyone. I don't like the look of that sky."

* * *

><p>A short time later, everyone was in their pajamas, sleeping bags unrolled in a circle in the rec room. Snacks were already dished out into bowls, soda cans were cracked open, and for the moment everyone was just mingling.<p>

Otome sat next to the cardboard box in the corner, idly stroking Ti's head. Coffee sat on her shoulder, looking at the other teenagers in the room.

"Otome," she whispered, so no one else would hear. "Don't you want to say hi to everyone, or paint your nails? See, Mirai's painting Hiromi's," she added, gesturing in the direction of the girls in question.

The pink-haired girl smiled a little at the sight. Hiromi was sweating a little as Mirai carefully applied the pale pink, shimmering polish. "A-Are you sure it'll be okay? I might chip it by accident," Hiromi squeaked.

"No worries, Hiromi~! I feel it – this is going to be perfect."

"You're not having a premonition, Mirai, you paint your mom's nails every week..."

"Then you have to trust me!"

"I dunno," Otome mumbled. "Everyone's already branched off into groups, haven't they? I'd just be awkward."

"They were fine with you during the Friendship Festival, datchu," Ti pointed out.

"I dunno-"

"Otome!" Antoinette came over, playfully holding a pink clutch purse. "Hey, I know animals are wonderful, but come on, this is your party. I brought some of my make-up with me, do you want to try some?"

"Eh, I dunno...I've never worn make-up before-"

"But do you want to? It's made of organic materials and is very gentle, so I don't think you'll be allergic. And I've got a variety of colors, if you're worried about how it'll look on you?"

"Uh-"

Coffee hid her mouth behind her paw, yelling "Oh, Otome'd be glad to have a make-over – come to the middle of the room with us, Otome!"

"See, Hiromi thinks you should! Come on!" Antoinette crowed, grabbing Otome by the wrist and dragging her towards the rest of the group.

"Traitor!" Otome mouthed at the fairies as they crawled back into their box.

* * *

><p>"Hmmm...mm...mmmmm..."<p>

"Yuki, just pick a card already," Aki sighed, waving her hand a little. "It's Old Maid, not bomb squad."

"I know, don't rush me!"

"Akiiii~!" Mirai called over just then, waving a tube of lipstick. "We're putting on make-up over here; you wanna make-over?"

Behind her, Otome sat tensely, lips drawn into a thin line as she stared dead ahead, pale-faced. Antoinette sat in front of her, eyes narrowed slightly in exasperation as she held the tube of red lipstick in front of Otome's lips. "Otome, you said this was okay, remember?"

"Yes!"

"You have to relax."

"I am!"

"...Would you rather put it on yourself?"

"No, no, this is fine!"

"...How about I just braid your hair?"

"But I want make-up!"

Antoinette stared for a moment, then dropped the lipstick, laughing quietly to herself. Otome blinked in surprise, her features relaxing in confusion. "Eh, Antoinette?"

"It's just funny," Antoinette said between quiet snickers. "You know, you look so mature. And you normally act like it too – at least, what we've seen of you. You kinda have this...this 'onee-san' feel to you sometimes. But now here we are, and I had to drag you out of a corner, and now you're nervous about make-up. And not because you don't like it, but because it's new and different. You're not as cool and collected as we think, are you?" Antoinette finished, tilting her head a little.

Otome blinked, slightly taken aback.

"You don't have to be nervous, you know. You're among friends here; we all came here because we wanted to know you better. To be friends. It's not easy at first, but if people really click and are meant to be friends...Well, it'll happen." She tilted her head in Hiromi and Mirai's direction, where the two girls were helping Aki choose between eye liners. "I didn't think I'd be friends with Hiromi and Mirai at first, but here we are. And Yuki...well, we have some things to work on, but I enjoy his company too.

"We want to be your friends, Otome. You don't have to worry about nerves or putting on appearances or anything like that. 'kay?"

Otome just stared, cheeks flushing a light pink. "Antoinette..." she whispered, her eyes shiny.

"Let's do make-up later, I guess," Antoinette said, releasing Otome's face and setting her lipstick back down. "Hey, guys, now that we're all here and unwound, what's up next?"

As Aki, now wearing coral blue eyeliner and shell pink lip gloss, began excitedly going over her plans, Otome allowed herself a small smile.

Outside, the sky grew darker, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

* * *

><p>What was next turned out to be one more game of Old Maid, this time including everyone. After Mirai had won, they played a few fast-paced games of Suck the Well, snacking on chips and popcorn in between turns. Yuki then dug out Aki's game system and they played a racing game for about a half hour; Otome finally allowed Hiromi to paint her nails; and then they relaxed off the stomach aches from snacks by simply lying on their bags and talking as the rain pounded against the window in the background.<p>

"So has Nanase been bothering you at all, Hiromi?" asked Otome.

"Hm-m, not anymore." Hiromi shook her head.

Antoinette sighed, opening another soda and tossing it back. "I heard a rumor that an underclassman was having trouble with her. But I dunno if it's true or not. There's nothing else to the story to tell, really."

"Yeah, and she seemed pretty upset when we sent her to Mrs Matoko," Miho admitted, nodding. "Maybe it's all unfounded."

"Let's talk about something else. Like boys! And girls!" Mirai exclaimed as she clapped her hands.

Yuki groaned loudly.

Thankfully, he was spared by a knock at the rec room door. When Aki called for them to come in, Sebastian and Emma poked their heads in. "Excuse me, Miss Aki?" Emma said. "We're terribly sorry, but we need to make a quick store-run, okay?"

"You girls ate more than we expected," Sebastian added with a wry smile.

"Sweet, so I'm innocent," said Yuki.

"Shut up, you ate most out of any of us!" Miho laughed as she threw a pillow in Yuki's face.

"It might take a while; the roads are wet from the rain and it's getting a bit late. But we won't be much more than an hour or so. Will you girls be okay?"

"Oh yeah, fine," Aki said, waving her hand. "We'll be good – we can watch a movie while we wait for you guys. Drive safe!" she yelled as Emma shut the door. "So what movie should we watch, anyway? I've got a zombie flick-"

"Boooooo!" Miho protested, making a thumbs-down gesture.

Hiromi glanced over at the box in the corner of the room. "I don't think everyone here would like that..."

"Okay, okay...how about a ghost story?" Aki held up another DVD.

* * *

><p><em>"Kana, don't go into that room!"<em>

_"But Suzuko, I heard a noise! Maybe it's a teacher, here to help us!"_

_"No, Kana! Miyuki already went in that room, and she didn't come out yet! Something's wrong!"_

Everyone sat huddled together in front of the large TV, blankets wrapped around their shoulders, hands idling in bowls of popcorn. Hiromi sat peering through her fingers, trembling faintly.

"Don't go in there, Kana!" Coffee whispered from the box.

_"Kana? Kana, you've been gone an awful long time..."_

"I can't look!" Hiromi squeaked, hiding her face in Miho's shoulder. Miho just stared wide-eyed at the screen and patted Hiromi's back.

The movie went quiet; the girl onscreen wasn't speaking as she walked deeper and deeper into the haunted school. Even the background score had decided to quiet, the only sound being the faint echo of her footsteps. It allowed the girls to hear outside a little better – the thunder continuing to rumble, the windows rattling from the wind, rain pelting the glass...A quick flash of lightning appeared just as the girl reached a classroom. She rested her hand on the knob...

_"KYAAAAAAA-!" she shrieked as something reared up, roaring loudly-_

With a faint _pop_, the power went out, leaving everyone in total darkness.

"Hyaaaaaaaah!" someone screamed shrilly.

"It's okay, Yuki, it's probably just the circuit breaker," Antoinette said.

Yuki sputtered angrily before snapping _"That was Mirai, you jerk!"_

A flashlight clicked on, illuminating Mirai's embarrassed face from below. "I _knew_ I packed this for a reason."

Aki stood up, wincing as she did so. Apparently her legs had fallen asleep from kneeling for so long, and she had to stomp her feet a few times to get them back to normal. "Antoinette's right though – the circuit breaker probably needs to be turned back on, is all. I'll go fix it – it's down on the first floor."

"W-Wait, you're going down there all by yourself?" Miho gasped.

"Well, it's my house..."

"In the dark, Aki! During a storm!" As if to punctuate this statement, lightning flashed again. "And Mirai's got the only flashlight in here!"

"She's right, I do." Mirai jiggled the light a bit.

"Which means if you leave with it, we're all in the dark. And if you don't take the light, you're in the dark." Miho stood, hands on her hips. "We're going with you to the circuit breaker."

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner. _

* * *

><p>The group clustered together behind Aki, who held the flashlight. The hallway seemed so long in the dark, like an endless path leading deeper and deeper into darkness. Every now and then, a bolt of lightning would strike, briefly illuminating large squares of the floor and wall. But it would only last a second, and all too quickly they were in near-total darkness again. No one dared to speak, the images from the movie fresh in their minds despite the familiar surroundings.<p>

Ti curled himself into a ball on Otome's shoulder, whimpering softly. "A ghost is gonna get us," he said. "A big ghost with red eyes and a tattered uniform is gonna pop out and-"

"No one's gonna come out," Miho whispered, leaning over. "It was just a movie." But even as she said that, she sounded wary. "Ugh, whose idea was it to watch a _scary_ movie?" she added in a louder voice.

"Don't worry." Otome reached out, grabbing Miho's hand in hers. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

_**BOOM**_

Thunder shook the mansion like a small earthquake, making everyone scream in alarm. The little light there was suddenly went out as Aki dropped the flashlight with a clatter.

_"Hyaa-!"_

"Okay, Yuki, that was _definitely_ you _and_ Mirai this time!" Antoinette yelled, voice quavery.

"Hang on." The flashlight flickered for a second; everyone heard a dull _thump_ as Aki smacked the flashlight, and then the light shone again. Aki sighed in relief as she held it under her chin. "There. Jeez, that was creepy...Okay, so we're taking the stairs now, so everyone be _really_ care-" She stopped, staring in confusion. At first no one knew what the problem was, but then... "Where's Mirai and Yuki?"

"Huh?!" The others turned around to look where Aki was.

Yuki and Mirai, who had once been bringing up the rear, were gone.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Antoinette said, tossing her hair. "They probably went back to the rec room."

"In the dark, by themselves?" asked Miho.

"Well, maybe they panicked. Yuki does strike me as the type to scare easily." Antoinette puffed out her chest, her hands on her hips. "He and Mirai probably just turned and ran for the rec room and are waiting for us to turn the lights back on. And besides," she added, opening her eyes and looking at the others. "Where are they going to go? This is Aki's house, and no one else is here."

Hiromi forced a laugh, her hand on her chest. "Y-Yeah, Antoinette's right! What could have happened? We should hurry and make sure they're not in the dark too long."

"R-Right..." Aki stammered despite herself. "Anyway, like I said, we're at the stairs, so everyone be careful."

They began descending, slowly. Aki remained at the front, her hand against the wall as she carefully felt around with her feet, determined not to trip. This made moving slow for the others as well, as they couldn't go down a single step until Aki did. Thunder continued to rumble, the windows rattling with every roar.

Hiromi looked outside, biting her lower lip when she stopped in front of the window. "It's really coming down..." she whispered. "The rain's like sheets. Do you think everyone's okay?"

"They should be," Otome whispered back. "A little storm's not gonna get anyone, right?" She grinned, looking over her shoulder at Hiromi. "Hey, I've faced worse."

"Yeah, like being locked in a-"

"Miho!" everyone but Antoinette whispered.

Antoinette's brow furrowed. "Locked...?"

"A-Ahaha! She's kidding, she's kidding! I uh...one time, I had a long after-school detention, and I was so quiet the teacher forgot I was there and locked me in," Otome said quickly.

Antoinette only frowned harder. "She forgot about you?" she whispered, but it had a different feel to it. This was a sympathetic, warm whisper, rather than the kind one uses when they don't want to be heard. "That sounds awful..."

"It...it wasn't that bad..." Otome mumbled. "My friends cheered me up afterwards..."

"Even so, no one deserves that," Antoinette protested.

"I guess..."

In the back of the group, Hiromi and Miho smiled at one another. So it seemed all Otome's fears from earlier – as Aki had told them – were unfounded. And Antoinette was a good girl at heart besides. Of _course_ she'd be-

Hiromi caught a glimpse of something from the corner of her eye, and hastily turned to look out the window again, gasping. "Girls-!"

Lightning flashed, blinding everyone.

They blinked, trying to clear their visions. The sound of thunder roaring masked everyone's stunned gasps.

The space where Hiromi and Miho had stood was empty.

"Okay. Okay," said Coffee, voice shaking. "They did _not_ just run to the rec room!"

Aki had only one word to say. "Run."

"Wha-?" Antoinette began.

_"Run!"_

Thunder shook the house again, the window rattled so hard that cracks formed in the glass. Even when the thunder passed, the house kept shaking, far longer and far worse than it should have – and then Otome realized it. The walls were moving as if someone had seized and was shaking the mansion; the stairs bucking underneath them, threatening to send them all crashing to the ground.

And that was just what happened to Antoinette. Her foot caught around her other ankle as they turned on the landing, causing her to pitch forward. This created a domino effect with the other two, Aki letting out a yelp of pain as she hit the floor, flashlight skittering across the floor and out of her reach. In the two seconds they were in the dark, Aki felt her heart jump into her throat as she frantically crawled across the floor to the flashlight. Quickly, she picked it up and swung it behind her, relieved to see both Otome and Antoinette were still there.

However, when she looked at Otome's shoulders, Ti and Coffee were missing.

And the house was still shaking on its foundation. Dark shadows dripping like curtains of ink descended from the walls to slowly pool on the floor. Thunder sounded again, but this time, Otome swore there was a low, otherworldly moan beneath it.

She felt someone grab her shoulders, and her heart stopped until she realized it was Antoinette. The blonde was pressing herself against Otome, her form trembling. "O-Otome! Aki! What's happening?!"

"I don't know!" Aki yelled back, panic rising in her voice. She stood, pointing down the hallway. There was a door on the other end, wide open. "Circuit breaker's down there! We're gonna hit the lights and see if-"

_"Aki!"_ Otome screamed.

Antoinette shrieked, hands over her eyes.

And Aki's flashlight fell to the floor again, but this time the light stayed on. The flashlight spun a little until it settled on where Aki was: being pulled into the walls of the house itself by a large, shadowy hand.

"Aki!" Otome yelled again, running forward with her hand outstretched. "Take my hand!"

But it was too late for that. Before Otome could get even halfway to Aki, the other girl was already mostly submerged in the wall. For a second, all that could be seen was her face, and her fore-arm. _"Get the light-!"_ she managed to scream before the wall closed in over her face, like sand.

"Aki!" Otome couldn't help but cry out as she reached the wall, pounding futilely on it, as if hoping it would release her friend. "Aki!"

"Otome!" Antoinette screamed.

Otome grit her teeth in the split-second that passed before she whirled around and ran back to Antoinette – who, miraculously, was not being taken herself. She grabbed the girl's hand in one of her own, scooped up the flashlight with the other. "C'mon, Antoinette! Stay with me!" They had barely gone more than a few steps before the house shook again, and –

"The floor, _the flooooor!"_ Antoinette yelled, voice disintegrating into a sob.

The floor was opening, like a huge, gaping maw with torn floorboards serving as teeth.

There was no time. And Otome wished, for just a moment, it hadn't had to come to this. Very briefly, she let go of Antoinette's hand.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song! The everlasting love in a maiden's heart, Cure Ariel!"**

A gloved hand seized Antoinette's own, and tugged her against a bow-adorned chest. "Hang on!" Cure Ariel commanded, not giving Antoinette any time to process this before she leaped over the chasm-mouth, landing gracefully on the other side. She had to leave the flashlight behind, as it teetered over the edge of one side before tumbling into the emptiness below, but that was fine. A flick of the wrist and a familiar glow appeared around one hand. She had this.

Antoinette was staring in shock. "Otome...?" she whispered.

Ariel looked down at her, smiling sheepishly. "Don't tell anyone!" she said, and then took off running down the hall. The room with the circuit breaker was just ten feet away...eight...five...they were at the door...

The door was wrenched open, and both girls flew into the room, Ariel quickly opening the metal box. "Do you know how to work this?"

"Y-Yes!" Antoinette said, running forward. But before she could get even halfway to it...

_"You know, the lights won't change anything."_

Both girls gasped, though Ariel's was laced with anger. "Riche!" she yelled, recognizing the voice beneath the creak of wood and plaster. "What have you done to our friends!?"

"Who?" Antoinette said faintly.

As if by his own will, the room brightened just enough for the girls to see him. Riche stood, for lack of better term, above the circuit breaker, his arms and legs sunk into the walls. His skin had darkened and textured to match that of the wall itself, so it was difficult to tell where the house ended and Riche began. And to top it all off, his eyes were black, with red irises being the only color. Closer inspection revealed the light was coming from those irises. _"I am an Usotsuki,"_ he intoned over Antoinette's cry of shock and horror. _"Despair!"_

"Riche...you did this?!" Ariel yelled, eyes wide. She had never thought he'd go so far as to-

"This...this is his fault? The house is being scary because of...our friends are...Our friends!" Antoinette yelled, voice only trembling a little. "Where are they?!"

Riche just smiled. "Would you like to see?"

Antoinette and Ariel barely had time to process that before Antoinette felt herself sinking. She looked down, crying out when she saw that her feet up to her ankles had vanished into the floor, which was rippling and sloshing like water. As if her looking was all else that was needed, she suddenly plunged downward, screaming-

-Only to be caught under the arms by Cure Ariel, keeping her above ground. "O-Otome! Help me!" Antoinette yelled, tears collecting in her eyes.

"Don't worry!" Ariel yelled, sweat beading at her temple as she held fast. "I won't let you go! I've got you!"

_"Can you promise this, Ariel?"_ Riche asked. Ariel ignored him, until he followed up this question with another. _"Can you promise not to let another friend be hurt? Like Shylock was?"_

Ariel gasped, tensing slightly.

_"Your friends were all taken from you tonight, and you couldn't do a thing to save them."_

"I-"

Riche's eyes flickered upwards, and several large, translucent bubbles descended from the ceiling, attached by long, thick strands of darkness. Inside each bubble was one of her friends, and so were Sebastian and Emma (Ariel realized with a sick feeling that they never actually got to leave the mansion). And every one of them was wailing in despair, tears streaming down their faces as a black aura pulsated around each one, feeding the River Despair.

_"How can you promise not to let harm come to this one, when you have allowed it to come to so many before? Your lover, your friends, your kingdom, your prince...You couldn't save them all. How can you think you deserve friends, how can you think you can protect any of them?"_

"I-"

"She just can!" Antoinette yelled, snapping Ariel back to reality. Antoinette was glaring up at Riche through her tears, her face pale but determined. "I believe in Otome! She got me to this room even when things looked bad and scary! She's a good person, she's a nice girl! She held my hand when I was afraid! She talked to me, and she let me talk to her! She's our friend, and I don't know what your history with her is, but you can't say such things about her! You can't get away with that!"

"Antoinette..." Ariel whispered.

"Otome...Otome, you're my friend. You're Yuki's friend too, and Mirai's, and Hiromi and Aki's! And we all believe in you, we all care about you!" Antoinette smiled again, even as the floor was sucking her in more strongly, trying to wrench her out of Ariel's grip. "So I believe...

"I believe you'll save me, too."

"Wha-"

"Go get him, Otome!" Antoinette yelled before wrenching her arms free from Ariel's hands. Ariel barely had time to shout Antoinette's name before the girl was gone, the tiniest of ripples in the floor where her head disappeared. A moment later, a new bubble appeared, holding a sobbing Antoinette.

"Antoinette!" Ariel cried.

"She's a stupid girl. Brave, and admirable in her loyalty to you, but stupid." Riche's voice was calm, analytic as he regarded his new captive. _"What makes her think you can save her? Or any of them? You couldn't save Shylock..."_

"I..." Ariel's hand curled into a fist. "...I know."

_"So you admit it as well. Does this mean you shall come willingly?"_ The floor rippled again, below Ariel-

"Not. A. _Chance."_

There was a blast of white light, obscuring everything from view, just for a moment.

Cure Ariel stood in the light as it illuminated her, casting her in ethereal glow, her hair and clothes moving as if in a light breeze. She held up her hand, the Cure Signet glowing beneath her glove. "I couldn't save Shylock...and I regret this," she said simply. "But that does not mean I will let you take everyone else...my _precious friends,_ away from me!"

The light flashed again, and Ariel was briefly clad in billowing sheets of pale aqua light, her Cure Signet transforming into a thin silver band with a teal rose and two golden hearts. **"Pretty Cure! Love's Song!"** The sheets wrapped around Ariel like a rosebud before bursting apart to reveal her new form.

She hovered an inch above ground before lightly touching down, sending aqua green, glowing ripples across the floor's surface. As each ripple passed, the floor solidified into how it should be.

Ariel opened her eyes, staring up at Riche in cold determination. She now wore a more elaborate dress with layers of skirt and ribbon. She had white gloves that reached the middle of her upper arms with soft aqua ribbons around the wrists, and a soft aqua ribbon choker. The sleeves of the dress were short and puffy, white with a soft aqua cuffs. Over her chest was a large, pale mint bow with a large, teal heart-shaped brooch. A pale blue corset with soft aqua ribbons crisscrossing over the front was around her abdomen, and it was slightly parted to show the white bodice beneath. Her necklace, once around her waist, now attached to the bottom middle of the corset, catching and reflecting light. All along the bottom of the corset were pearls the same color of her ribbons, and a sheer, glittering fabric, a light blue-aqua in color, descended from it to form the topmost layer of skirt. Beneath that was ruffled skirt that split in the front, starting white but gradiating to the same color as her corset near the bottom. Underneath that was an aqua skirt that reached mid-thigh. Her legs were bare, but on her feet were white heels, lined with pearls. And the small of her back sported a large bow made of the same material as her shimmery top-skirt, the tails fanning out and going all the way down to mid-calf. On her head was a silver tiara with teal jewels; four egg-shaped and one large heart in the center. Heart-shaped earrings adorned her ears; teal jewels with gold setting.

Her twintails had gotten much longer too, and twisted around themselves, almost drill-like. It had become lighter in color too, closer to a soft pink than the dark magenta it had once been.

She arched her back slightly, chest out as she rested her fingertips on her chest.

**"Abundant steadfast love, Lovely Cure Ariel!"**

Riche growled in annoyance and opened his mouth. The roar of thunder that they had been hearing all this time sounded again, shaking the walls-

And Lovely Ariel stamped her foot, and just like that the shaking ceased.

_"Wha-"_

"Give. Back. My. _Friends,"_ Lovely Ariel hissed. She clapped her hands together before spinning around on one foot, tossing her arm out as she completed her spin and snapped her fingers. In a burst of aqua light, her bow and arrow reappeared, flaring with a golden aura as Lovely Ariel seized it in her hand. She briefly held it over her head before bringing it back in front of her, already in position; a golden arrow of light, flaring like fire, appeared in her hand. **"Sound of the Bells! A Lovely Song! Pretty Cure..."** She slowly drew the arrow back, the flame-like aura intensifying and growing bigger, giving off sparks of gold and aqua. **"Lovely...Steadfast...Arrow!"** At that word, Lovely Ariel released the arrow, and it shot straight towards Riche.

It swiftly pierced Riche's chest, burning through like a hot knife through butter, leaving a glowing, sea-foam green heart in the middle. Riche roared in fury and pain as darkness tore away from him, and the house, in shreds.

Lovely Ariel shielded her eyes against it; darkness was everywhere, pouring away from the house like thick smoke. Of course it would, it was such a large Usotsuki after all.

When her eyes opened again, Riche was gone...but every single one of her friends was on the floor, unconscious but otherwise no worse for wear.

"Antoinette..." Lovely Ariel breathed, shoulders relaxing as tears sprung to her eyes again. "Hiromi...Aki...Miho, Yuki, Mirai, Ti, Coffee...! E-Everyone's okay..." she whispered, wiping her eyes with a gloved hand.

* * *

><p>"Looks like the storm's starting to subside," said Sebastian a half hour later, as he peered out the window of the rec room. "It was so bad earlier, we couldn't leave after all...Strange, really."<p>

"Oh, good," sighed Mirai. "I couldn't tell if it would last til morning or not."

"I thought you were psychic, Mirai?" Yuki teased.

"Yes, but the weather is unpredictable even for someone with my gift!"

As everyone laughed, Otome tensed when she felt a touch to her shoulder. Turning to the side, she saw Antoinette behind her, gazing her at her with a serious look. "Eh...Antoinette?"

The other girl stared silently for a few more moments, then put a finger to her lips. Otome stared, then her eyes widened a centimeter as she realized what the other girl was trying to convey. "I don't understand what's going on," Antoinette whispered. "But I know you're involved with something big, and I can't begin to understand it, can I? Don't answer that," she hastily added as Otome opened her mouth. "Just...be safe, alright? And remember..." Antoinette smiled softly. "I believe in you."

Otome's eyes widened further, then she too smiled, tears threatening to spill over. "Antoinette..." she whispered, then coughed and wiped her eyes. "Y-You know, Antoinette..."

"Hm?"

Otome grinned, lifting her head up again. "Let's do that make-over!"

* * *

><p>In Heartbreak Manor, Tamora sat in her chair, hugging Ichiko and swinging her legs. She looked up as the door to the parlor opened, and Riche entered with Lady supporting him. Before Tamora could ask if he was alright, Lady lifted her own head to look at her. Well, as well someone who had her eyes closed all the time could look. "Tamora?"<p>

"Yes?"

The next words made her blood run cold.

"Break wishes to see you within the half hour."

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Otome: "T-Tamora?! What's gotten into you, what's wrong?!"

Tamora: "I...can't afford to lose!"

Miho: "Tamora, no! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'The Princess's Last Test!' Let love heal your heart!"


	25. Chapter 25

Tamora stood tensely in the darkened room, her back ramrod straight and her arms poised at her sides. She kept her head bowed respectfully, and noticed, too late and with some horror, that she still held Ichiko by one of her plush paws.

Maybe if she hurried, she could subtly toss the bear behind her back, hide it-

"Tamora."

Shoot. "Y-Yes, Break," Tamora said, keeping her voice low to hide how it trembled.

"Look outside."

Tamora slowly turned her head to gaze out the window.

Break just chuckled. "No, no, dear girl..._Go_ to the window, you cannot see from here." As Break watched the teen slowly move to peer out the window, took note of how her brows lifted in amazement, they went on. "The river is rising considerably. It has come a long way since when we first invaded Kokoro...In short time, it will overflow into Kokoro and rain despair into the land. My servants should be proud. However..." Tamora flinched, but Break didn't seem to care. "You have failed a considerable amount of times..."

"B-Break!" Tamora cried, whipping her head around to look at the cloaked figure. "You just said the river was-"

"Yes, this is true. You and the others have succeeded in filling it. However, you have failed at destroying our one obstacle – Pretty Cure. You have faced them the most, and yet you have not managed to remove even _one_ of them.

"I am giving you one last chance."

Tamora blinked, paling somewhat. "O-One...?"

"Do not disappoint me, Tamora...regardless of how your next battle turns out, come to see me."

Tamora bowed stiffly, her grip on Ichiko's paw tightening as she fought to keep her heart at a reasonable rate. "Y-Yes, Break..."

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>"Wakey-wakey, everyone~!" Miho cheered. A moment later, Antoinette let out a muffled cry of outraged shock and pulled the pillow away from her face.<p>

"Miho! Did you have to _throw it at me?_" she shrieked, throwing it right back.

The redhead laughed as she twisted her body to the side, and the pillow hit Yuki behind her. "Well, we didn't get to have a pillow-fight earlier! C'mon!" she yelled, picking up another pillow and throwing it at Mirai.

"This would never be allowed at my house!" Antoinette was yelling above the noise. "If my mother caught you throwing one of her pillows, she'd – geh!"

Otome stood there, arm still held in position, grinning broadly.

Antoinette's grip tightened on her own pillow, and she turned around with a dark grin on her face. _"This. Means. War~"_ she declared. And a moment later, a fluffy pink pillow was hurtling towards Otome.

Everyone was so into the fight that no one noticed when the door opened.

"Excuse me-!" Sebastian got hit in the face by a lace heart pillow.

"A-Ah, Sebastian, I'm sor-" Aki began. Then she yelped and threw herself to the floor as her butler plucked the pillow off his face and chucked it at her.

Sebastian just smiled, adjusting his waistcoat and brushing back a few strands of hair. "I assume you've all worked up an appetite? Because it's breakfast time."

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: The Princess's Last Test!<p>

* * *

><p>A short time later, everyone was dressed and sitting around Aki's rather large dining table. Luckily everyone liked French Toast – though Otome couldn't seem to stop staring and start eating.<p>

"I've never seen bread this...floppy," she mumbled, holding a piece on her fork. She gave it an experimental wiggle, raising her eyebrows as she followed its movement. "And you...you put it in the syrup, right?"

"Just don't soak it, or you'll get nothing but mush," Yuki said, reaching over to stop her from pouring too much of the stuff onto it. Neither he nor anyone else made a comment on Otome not knowing what French Toast was.

Ti and Coffee didn't seem to either, but they certainly liked it. They sat under Hiromi's chair, munching half a slice of toast each. "The powdered sugar is the best part, datchu," Ti managed around a mouthful.

"Remember to eat a healthier dinner after this, Ti," Coffee said.

"So what is everyone doing today?" Mirai finally asked, tenting her fingers and smiling around the group. "We'll have to separate eventually..."

"Yeah, I gotta go help Mom with cleaning the kitchen," Yuki grumbled, twirling his fork around between his fingers. "She says since I'm the one who uses it most, I should do more of the cleaning..."

"Well, Bitsy probably misses me a lot. I'll just stay with him," Antoinette said with a small shrug.

Hiromi was buttering some of her toast when Mirai leaned over and nudged her in the side. "Eh?"

"Psst, Hiromi..." Mirai whispered, eyes wide. "Premonition! You'll be among roses."

"Eh?" Hiromi blinked. "Roses...?"

* * *

><p>"Tea, darling?" Lady offered the tray to Riche, smiling as he took a cup. She took one for herself and settled on the love seat besides him, idly sipping. "You seem troubled."<p>

"It's Tamora," he muttered into his cup. "I worry about her. She's taken Shylock's death a bit harder than I believed she would. And Break is correct – she has failed the most out of any of us. I just hope she won't hurt herself this time...

"And that Break will go easy on her."

"You doubt her?" Lady asked, delicate brows arched.

Riche sighed. "It is not that. It is...she's young. She's still a child – fifteen is still a child. She's emotional, she's inexperienced, she..." He sighed again, this time running a hand over his eyes. "I worry for her, is all."

Lady said nothing, just took another drink of tea. Her brows furrowed slightly, as if in thought. Finally, she lowered the cup to her saucer and touched Riche's shoulder. "We'll see what happens...Until then, please drink your tea. It'll get cold," she added with a tiny smile.

Riche managed a chuckle before sipping at his tea again.

* * *

><p>"Bye, Mirai! See you tomorrow at school!" the girls called. Mirai smiled and lifted her hand in farewell before she turned and jogged down the sidewalk towards her house. And that made all of their friends safe in their homes.<p>

Miho sighed and put her hands behind her head as the group began to walk. "I don't feel like goin' home just yet...You think we should do something together, just Pretty Cure?"

"We always do that," Aki said.

Miho just shrugged. "I just don't wanna go home just yet. Nana's on a deadline," she added, dropping her voice to a loud whisper. "She gets _really_ edgy when deadlines loom. The _last_ thing I need is to open the door and have her yell at me for almost making her spill her inkwell."

After the laughter died down, Otome noticed something. "What's that wall? I haven't seen that before."

"Hm?" Aki turned to look, smiling at the sight of a low marble wall a little ahead of them. "Oh, that's Rose Palace Gardens. They're normally closed to the public and only the really rich folks get to go in. But..." She frowned. "huh, they seem to be letting people in..."

Curious, the group approached the gate midway down the wall, where a pink-haired woman in a tea party dress was ushering people inside with a smile. "Yes, come in, everyone! Be happy for the owner's generosity today! Free of charge, everyone, free of charge!"

"Hi! What's free of charge?" Aki asked as they stopped in front of the woman.

"Ah, Miss Oshiro! Well, you see, the owner's been preparing a new section of the gardens for a few months now, and now that it's finished, he wants as many people to enjoy it as possible." She turned to look inside the garden, smiling in an affectionate manner. "It's a rose maze! Like a hedge maze, but made of rosebushes." The woman looked to the group. "Do you want to try?"

Hiromi's eyes widened slightly. _"You'll be among roses!"_ Mirai's premonitions were always accurate to some extent... "Yes, please!" she blurted out.

Everyone turned to look at her in surprise, then everyone smiled and shrugged in agreement. "Yeah, why not?" Miho said.

"There's something like this in Ko – back home! I'd love to enjoy it again."

"Well, sounds like it's unanimous," Aki laughed.

The woman stepped aside and jerked her head towards the inner garden. "Go right through! Go under the rose arch and do your best~!"

* * *

><p>The rosebushes went several feet above everyone's heads, so there was no chance of cheating. Petals littered the ground at their feet like a pink and red carpet. "You know," Miho said. "This kinda makes me feel like a princess!"<p>

"I don't have a maze like this! Not in the palace anyway, datchu," Ti mumbled in disappointment. "It's not fair..."

Otome chuckled, stroking the top of Ti's fuzzy little head. "At least you get to enjoy it now, right?"

"I guess, datchu..."

They decided to stay together as they walked. Better to stay as a group than get separated and then have to spend half their day finding each other again. The good news was, the pathways in the maze were rather wide, so it was never cramped. They were even able to walk past over maze-enjoyers without any trouble. Coffee waved at a few of them, much to their amusement.

Eventually they reached the center of the maze, which was a large open circle with a fountain and several tables laden with food and drink. Another woman in a dress stood by the tables, offering refreshments to the people passing by. "Ah, hello!" she called to the group. "Welcome to the rest stop~! Would you like to stay and rest a bit?"

"Hey, I'm not denying free food," Miho said with a grin, sauntering over to one of the tables and taking a seat. She laughed as the others joined her, and the woman set a pitcher of lemonade on the table.

"We have little slices of cake, cookies, and some triangle sandwiches to eat. What would you like?"

"Sandwiches and cake, please," Hiromi said softly, adjusting her glasses.

* * *

><p>Hovering above the scene, Tamora rested her hand over her Heartbreak Brooch. Her throat felt tight as she remembered Break's words.<p>

"This time...this time for sure!"

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Ti flopped onto his belly on the tabletop, having just finished a strawberry sandwich. "I'm stuffed, datchu..." he moaned. "Aki, make us strawberry sandwiches too!"<p>

Aki laughed and poked Ti in the back, making the little fairy squeak. "Alright, I'll talk to Sebastian about it."

Hiromi leaned back in her chair and smiled as a gentle breeze teased her pigtails, wafting the scent of roses towards her. "This is nice," she murmured. "Miho was right, you really feel like a princess here..."

"Being a princess isn't always fun."

The girls jumped up, startled to see Tamora suddenly standing a few feet away from them. Her shoulders were tensed, her jaw set as she glared tearfully at them. "It's not always fun," she repeated. "Sometimes...sometimes you have to make a lot of hard choices! Sometimes you lose your friends and family. Sometimes the enemy wants to be your friend and you do too but there's war and the threat of being called a traitor and... And some princesses die! Some are imprisoned and then die! Being a princess is no fun!"

"Tamora?" Otome whispered, a chill running down her spine. "Tamora, what's wrong-"

"I don't want to be the princess! I don't want to, I hate it now! Why do you get to act like it's so fun, when...when something so bad is happening?!

You're just like those princesses who don't do anything, just sit on the throne and eat and play and then get beheaded because you're so..." Tamora hiccuped, angrily wiping at her eyes.

The woman in the dress nervously approached her. "M-Miss, you're frightening the other customers, please-"

"I can't lose today...I just can't! I'll take at least _one_ of you down today!" Tamora yelled, swiftly uncapping her Heartbreak Marker. She scribbled a slashed heart in the air, then flung her arms out, causing the symbol to break apart into a flurry of black pieces. As those pieces flew out to settle among the rose bushes, Tamora cried out _"Fall into heartbreaking despair! Come out, Usotsuki!" _

Her Heartbreak Brooch flared with a black aura as she was concealed in a flurry of roses – petals, stems, whole blossoms, while the bushes were becoming bare.

From within the flurry of blossoms, bright red pinpricks suddenly appeared just before the roses surged into the vortex.

_"I am an Usotsuki!_" Tamora cried, glaring down at the girls with her now red-and-black eyes. Yes, _down._ Tamora was now twice her usual size, the roses all forming a large gown that lifted her up off the ground. One large rose was fused to her chest, the Heartbreak Brooch right in the center. _"Despair!"_

There were faint thumps as the garden visitors all collapsed one by one, their wails filling the air. Though the girls couldn't see _all_ of them, they all knew they looked the same as everyone before: tear-stained faces, runny noses, expressions like their entire worlds had fallen apart. Steams of blackness were pulled out of them and into the sky as Tamora spoke again.

_"Your heartbreak will fill the River Despair and flood the world~!"_ Tamora then screeched, wordlessly this time, and plunged her hands into the large rose on her chest. She then surged forward in a flurry of petals, withdrawing her hands and swinging the huge, sword-like thorns she'd created.

"Hyaah!" The girls fell back, arms up to cover their faces from the sharp leaves trailing in the wake of Tamora's swings. Miho yelped as one leaf nicked her finger, near the Cure Signet.

_"Pretty Cure, datchu!" _

_"Ti!" _

The girls lowered their arms, eyes widening when they saw the little fairy on one of Tamora's thorn-swords. His little paws were wrapped tightly around it, teeth buried in the wood. "Leave 'em alone!" he managed to yell, his voice muffled. "Leave PreCure alone!"

_"You have nothing to **do** with this fight!"_ Tamora shrieked. _"Just...stay...down!"_ She swung her arm...

And there was a sick _thwack_ and a brief yelp of pain. And then Ti lay unmoving on the ground.

_**"Tiii!"**_ five voices yelled as one.

**"Pretty Cure, Love's Song!"**

**"The innocent love in a maiden's heart, Cure Capulet!"**

**"The sincere love in a maiden's heart, Cure Montague!"**

**"The steadfast love in a maiden's heart, Cure Portia!"**

**"The everlasting love in a maiden's heart, Cure Ariel!" **

**"Our hearts connected! Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts!" **

"Hyaaah!" Tamora thrust another sword-thorn out at the group, not caring who she stabbed as long as it was _someone_.

She only stabbed air, however, and just as she was swinging around to strike at the leaping Cures, a blast of aqua light struck one of the thorns, making large cracks appear from the point of impact. Another flurry of pink lights followed, forcing Tamora to block with the other thorn. So focused was she on her two attackers, she didn't see the tan blur shoot past her and through one of the hedge walls.

"Ti...Ti, can you speak?" whispered Portia, her trembling voice betraying her. Gently, she nudged the fairy with her thumbs, holding her breath and praying...

"Port...ia...?" Ti mumbled, eyes slowly opening.

Portia's sigh of relief was audible, but Coffee's crying out was louder. "Thank goodness..."

"Ti!" Coffee wailed, hugging him close. "Are you okay? Are your ribs hurt, can you breathe?"

"I can breathe...Just hurts."

"Coffee, I need you to stay here with Ti," Portia whispered, rising into a kneeling position.

"You don't need to say it!" Coffee said, hugging Ti even tighter. "Go get her!"

Portia nodded determinedly, briefly brought herself lower to the ground-

-and then shot up, rotating at the peak of her jump to throw her hands downward, aiming for Tamora. **"Sound of the Bells! Chest of Revelation! Pretty Cure Bronze Truth Shoot!"**

Out of the resulting light and dust explosion, Tamora leaped out, heading straight for Portia._ "Those don't even work anymore!"_ she yelled, drawing back one of her swords and driving it towards Portia's chest.

Portia quickly leaned to the side and grabbed the thorn. "I know." Holding tight, she spun around, dragging Tamora alongside her, then hurled her down to the ground. "That was a distraction for Ariel!"

"Haaaah!" Ariel surged forward, driving the flat of her foot into Tamora's back as the girl fell towards her. Regaining her balance, she sent a concerned, frantic expression to the Shitsuren girl. "Tamora! Undo your transformation! Please!"

Tamora yelled in pain and fury, whirling herself around and flinging the thorn towards Ariel like a javelin.

"Ariel!" Montague yelled, shoving her out of the way. The thorn speared into the ground, sinking three-fourths into the earth. Not missing a beat, Montague flung her arm out, sending a flurry of blue spheres of light that rushed for Tamora and exploded on contact.

Tamora shielded the worst of it with her arms forming an X in front of her, her teeth grit. _"Stay down! Just stay down!"_ she screamed, tearing one of the roses off her skirt. She flung it outward, and suddenly the air was filled with blurs of red and pink. Thousands and thousands of rose petals swarmed the air like angry hornets, obscuring everyone's vision as they were forced to land, trying to shield their eyes as if that would increase visibility.

_"I told you, I can't lose anymore! I can't! I'll get in big trouble! You say you want to be my friend, Ariel, so why don't you be a friend and **die** for me?!"_ Tamora's voice screeched among the rustling of petals. _"Your or any one of your other friends!"_

"That's not what a friend would do!" Capulet yelled, eyes still squeezed tight. "Tamora, listen – we'll be your friends too, but you have to stop this! Don't you see what you're doing is hurting everyone?!"

"You're scared!" Portia yelled. "You're scared, we get it! You don't want to get in trouble, something's going to happen, whatever it is! But we can help you! We can protect you from whatever-"

_"Shut uuuuup!"_ Tamora yelled. She hovered above the swarm of roses, hands over her ears, eyes squeezed tightly shut. _"I wanted to be Ariel's friend!"_ she sobbed. The roses slowed, ever so slightly. _"I was considering it! But I can't! Shylock's dead and I'm in big trouble! If I become your friend, I'll die! I've got nothing else to do, I've got nowhere else to go now! I have to do this!"_

Capulet slowly lowered her arms, one eye opening as she looked up.

_"I have to keep fighting! I have to fight and fight and fight until I can't anymore! There's no other way!"_

_There is,_ Capulet thought, mouth drawn in a determined line. _I can **make** her stop!_

There was a sudden burst of pink light, blasting the roses apart and forcing the storm to stop. Tamora froze, eyes wide and pupils pinpricks. _"Wh-what?!"_

**"Pretty Cure! Love's Song! Abundant innocent love, Lovely Cure Capulet! Sound of the Bells! A Lovely Song! Pretty Cure Golden Innocent Shoot!"**

Tamora could only watch in horror and dread as the glowing heart streaked for her – and then sped up, narrowing itself as it shot for its true goal.

Her Heartbreak Brooch.

Thin red cracks spider-webbed across its surface as the glowing heart struck it. Only Tamora's silhouette could be seen as she was enveloped in a golden aura, shreds of darkness and petals evaporating from her. Her Heartbreak Brooch held on just a moment longer, then shattered into tiny pieces. The aura took care of the rest, disintegrating them into nothingness.

The garden shifted to normal as a soft golden glow settled over everything. Various park visitors slowly lifted their faces, wiping their tears on their sleeves. What had just happened?

Tamora sat in the middle of the pathway, eyes wide in disbelief. She'd lost...she'd lost and her Heartbreak Brooch was gone on top of that. She was...She was going to be...

"Tamora."

Gasping in alarm, Tamora lifted her head to look at the girls approaching her. Her face paled and she drew back slightly, arms shaking as Otome walked right up to her...

And gathered her in her arms, pressing Tamora's head to her shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Tamora...It'll be okay," Otome whispered soothingly, tilting her face towards her. "It'll be okay...You don't have to do this anymore. You can stop now...You can stop."

Coffee and Ti hopped onto Hiromi's shoulders as everyone watched to see Tamora's reaction.

Tamora herself sat there, arms limp at her sides for a few moments. Then, with a tiny sob, she drew her arms up, hugging Otome tightly as thin streams of tears trickled down her cheeks. "I can really stop? I can get away?" she sobbed.

Otome nodded, tears dotting her lashes.

Tamora just knelt there, sobbing faintly as she hugged Otome tight. Then the others noticed her becoming see-through. "I-I'll come back," she promised as she began to teleport away. "I'll come back, I promise!"

* * *

><p>Sunset. The girls stood outside the garden, exchanging wary glances.<p>

"What did she mean? What's happening back there where she lives?" Aki whispered.

"Whatever it is, I don't think we know the whole story..." Hiromi said with a frown.

Otome sighed. "We can ask her later...When she comes back."

* * *

><p>Tamora moved quickly and quietly. Ichiko had been left in the sitting room, she remembered that. Riche and Lady were probably preoccupied; at least she sincerely hoped they were, and wouldn't notice her here. Break hardly left wherever it was they stayed, so there was no worry about-<p>

"Tamora?"

The girl froze as she entered the sitting room, seeing Lady pouring a cup of tea.

"It is you! I've been expecting you."

"Y-Yeah..." Tamora crossed the room to grab Ichiko. "I was just picking up Ichiko before I saw Break," she lied. "I can't seem to go anywhere in this place without her now."

"Some tea before you go?" Lady offered, pushing the cup towards her. "It's jasmine. It'll soothe your nerves."

Tamora took the tea and hastily downed it – and almost laughed at Lady's displeased expression. "Jasmine tea is supposed to be savored, drank slowly..." Lady mumbled, a hand over her mouth.

"Ahaha! S-Sorry about that..." Tamora said, then straightened up, setting the cup back on the saucer. "I better not put it off. See you soon, Lady!"

"Goodbye, Tamora, dear."

* * *

><p>Tamora didn't move for Break's room. Instead, she headed for the large doors at the mansion's exit. All she had to do was go through the doors, and then she would be able to teleport wherever she wanted, without the need for the mirrors.<p>

But...was the door always so far away? Was the hall always so dark? Tamora blinked as she took another step, and another...but was she even going anywhere? She didn't seem to be making a lot of progress...and her stomach-

She gasped, falling to her knees. Her stomach-! Her stomach burned fiercely, the burning spreading to her chest-

-And then, abruptly, the pain was replaced by an odd, draining numbness. A thick curtain of darkness and silence fell over her, and her vision began to swim. What little vision she had left, that is. Everything was dark, it was too dark...

"Someone...a-anyone...help..." she managed to say around her tongue, which felt too thick and slow now. She was so tired, though, so tired...It'd be easier to just...But then she'd...But she wanted to just sleep, but then there were her friends...She had to...

She lifted an arm, feeling like she was moving through maple syrup, and set it a few inches in front of her. She tried to drag herself down the hall, but her arm buckled from the effort.

_"H...el...p..."_

Ichiko fell to the floor, a solid _thump_ sounding in the hallway a second after. And then there were no more sounds, or movements.

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Otome: "Where's Tamora...? Something's wrong, something's not right!"

Aki: "Wait a second – guys, look, the mirror!"

Hiromi: "Is that Punch's voice?!"

Coffee: "Something's happening!"

Miho: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Long Live The King!' Let love heal your heart!"


	26. Chapter 26

"How could I be late?!" a woman yelled at herself as she ran up the empty stairs. "Me, a teacher! To be late for her own class! How scatterbrained can I be?"

The clicking sounds her heels made echoed around her as she ran. They were the only sounds to be heard.

Until...

"Hm?" She stopped on the landing, turning towards the large mirror that stood on the wall. The students didn't like it much, she remembered, because of some silly school ghost story. But... "Did I hear something?" she mumbled, stepping closer to it. Gently, she rested a hand against the glass surface, experimentally pressing on it a few times. "Perhaps it's coming loose...I'll have to call maintenance and-"

"Oooooor..."

The woman froze, face paling. "Wh-wha-?"

A voice. A masculine, distorted voice echoed from the mirror's surface. "Heeeeaaar...meeeee..."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>Hiromi and Aki were quiet as they sat at their desks, staring at the polished surface. Their friends were all exchanging concerned glances, but couldn't seem to bring themselves to say anything. And even if they did, there was no guarantee the girls would even register their words.<p>

_Tamora didn't come back..._ Hiromi thought.

The group had waited as long as they could. Until it got dark and the street lights turned on. Until a patrolling police officer spotted them and escorted them to Aki's house. They'd stayed up late, staring at the window, keeping the lights on to be sure.

Still no Tamora.

Aki's hands had been clasped patiently on her desk, but now they gripped hard until her knuckles turned white. _Something happened. And we can't even find out what because-_

"Hyaaaaaaaaaa! _Miss Matokoooo!"_

Everyone jumped as the door suddenly slammed open and another teacher, a blue-haired young woman with red eyes and thick, rectangular glasses, charged into the room. She staggered all the way to a startled Mrs Matoko and fell against her, her hands tightly gripping her upper arms as the other woman hugged her. "M-Miss Shinobu?" Mrs Matoko gasped. "What's the matter? Shouldn't you in your classroom?"

"Th-the mirror!" she shrieked, glasses slipping down her nose as she looked up. "The mirror spoke! The one on the stairway!"

Aki and Hiromi looked at each other across the room, their eyes wide.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Long Live the King!<p>

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, it spoke!" Miss Shinobu was yelling later, a hot cup of tea between her trembling hands. "There was a voice, i-it – it said 'hear me!' It's trying to communicate!"<p>

"Miss Shinobu, really," the principal said in a gentle tone. He leaned forward and rested a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You're probably just overworked. You're starting to hear things."

"I'm telling you-!"

It was a half hour later, and Miss Shinobu's charging into the classroom had pretty much ruined any thoughts of a peaceful class day. Miss Matoko had managed to yell that it was 'free study day' before escorting her colleague out the door and to the infirmary. Of course the students, both in her own class and Miss Shinobu's, opted to gossip about what had just happened instead. Aki and Hiromi had taken advantage of the disorder by slipping out the door and quickly calling up Miho's house.

And now the four Cures stood in front of the mirror, Otome at the front. She frowned as she reached out, placed her palm against the glass.

"But the mirror in Kokoro shattered. We saw it. How can someone be trying to contact us?"

"Could it be the one in Heartbreak Manor?" Coffee offered.

Miho shook her head. "Doubtful. If any of them knew we had one of the other mirrors here, they'd be here themselves right now."

Hiromi blinked, then looked around at the others. "What if the mirror's fixed?"

This earned a quiet gasp from the others, and Aki looked at Otome, her eyes wide. "Otome! Try calling out to the other side!"

Otome nodded at Aki, her eyes narrowed and her mouth in a thin line. She turned back to the mirror, looking past her reflection and instead focusing on Ti's. He was staring with wide, hopeful eyes, and she could tell he was holding his breath. If that other mirror was repaired...they could go back, they could find his parents, perhaps. Maybe it was his parents trying to contact them right now. She shut her eyes, drew in a deep breath. "Here goes." Otome leaned forward, her mouth centimeters from the glass's surface. "Hello! Hello, can someone hear me out there?"

The glass rippled slightly under her breath.

* * *

><p>Punch carefully fit a jagged shard into the frame. He paused, leaning back on his haunches and wiped his brow. "How long have I been at this...?" he muttered, picking up yet another shard.<p>

The mirror was only a fraction of the way repaired. It was rather difficult to get a good, large part of it put back together when one was less than a foot tall. He might have finished earlier, but he hadn't even realized the mirror had been broken! It was pure dumb luck, and the fact he'd emerged from the shelter to see if there'd been any change outside, that he realized this had happened at all.

Suddenly he froze, eyes widening. Was that-

_"...there? Anyone...hear me...?"_

Punch gasped and nearly dropped the glass shard he was holding. Hastily, he pressed it into the frame, the glue holding it fast, and yelled against the glass. "Is someone there?! Can you hear me?!"

* * *

><p>The girls had stood there silently, tense, for several minutes. Otome pressed her hands harder against the glass, her fingers trembling slightly.<p>

Finally, Coffee sighed. "I don't think it's-"

"Sh!" Otome said, eyes growing wide. A second later, they heard it.

_"...hear me?"_

"Punch!" Coffee yelled. She was quickly shushed by the others.

A second later, they heard Punch's voice. _"Coffee!...ty Cure...here?"_

"Punch, we're having trouble understanding you!" Otome called back. "Try getting closer to the glass!"

A moment of silence. _"Not...can do...Still repairing..."_

Repairing? The girls looked at each other hopefully. Miho was the one to speak, however. "Does this mean we can go back to Kokoro? We can go back to Heartbreak Manor, we can try to-"

_"-es!"_ Punch's voice sounded ecstatic beneath the distortion and faded quality. _"Yes! We need...something wrong outside..."_

"What's wrong?"

_"Storm...about to rain...Black water..."_

Otome's eyes widened at this. Black water...Just like the water of the River Despair. And if Punch had seen it...there were storms, if it looked about to rain...

"The river's going to overflow and fall to Kokoro," Otome realized, with a feeling that she'd been thrown into a bucket of ice water. "Kokoro's going to drown in despair..."

This was met with shocked gasps and whispers from the others. "Then we've got to do something!" Aki yelled.

"That's right! We should go right-" Hiromi began to say. But then something else happened.

* * *

><p>Punch suddenly yelled in alarm and fell backwards. The glass had began to glow, ripple, and a dark shape was forcing its way through. He stood up, about to tell the girls they should have waited, but-<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Hyaa-!"<em>

"Punch!" everyone screamed, crowding against the mirror. "Punch, what happened?!"

There was nothing.

For several long, agonizing minutes there was nothing.

Ti was the one to finally voice what everyone was thinking. "Something's wrong, datchu...Something is really wrong."

"Let's go." Otome's words were immediate; she didn't hesitate or falter once.

"But the mirror's bro-" Coffee began.

"So we'll force our way through!" Aki snapped, a hand running through her blue-black hair. "At least part of it's fixed, we can still-"

"I can't hear Punch anymore." Otome turned around to look at the others, face slightly pale. "Guys, we have to go _now!"_

No more questions or words were spoken. Everyone nodded as one, charging forward. Hiromi rested her hands protectively, reassuringly, over the fairies, a silent assurance that things would be okay on the other side. One way or another.

* * *

><p>The room hadn't changed much from the last time the girls had left. The only difference was shards of glass littering the floor, most of which had been gathered nearer the mirror frame.<p>

The glass glowed, and the two fairies flew out, tumbling a little when they hit the floor. Ti pushed himself to his paws and looked at the mirror, brows lowered.

It rippled a bit more, and-

"Owwww!"

"C-Capulet, pull!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Capulet's head and arms emerged from the small portion of glass, her hands gripping the carpet as she tried to move forward. "I-It's not a lot of space to work with!"

"Hurry uuuup..." Portia's voice growled, clearly agitated.

Ti and Coffee ran forward, grabbing one of Capulet's hands. Her other hand still gripped the floor, pulling herself forward as the fairies helped. A second later, Capulet yelped and tumbled forward, the other three Cures following.

"Owwwwowowowow..." Portia stood shakily, placing her hands on the small of her back and bending backwards. "I never want to do that again...Not through such a tiny door, anyway."

"Now I know how Alice in Wonderland felt..." Montague added.

"Punch!" Ariel yelled, catching everyone's attention. "Punch, are you here?!" Of course there was just silence. Ariel left the room, the others close behind. She glanced one way, then the other, before picking a direction and running towards it. "Punch!"

There was no more being quiet, or stealthy, or anything like the last time they visited. Punch could be in serious danger, he could be... Ariel swallowed the lump in her throat that arose at the mere thought of that. No, she wasn't going to consider it.

"Puuuunch!"

"Ariel?!"

Everyone gasped, skidding to a halt. There, in a dark hallway that looked familiar to Capulet, was Punch, his eyes wide. In his arms were several vials and jars of herbs, and aside from that he was fine!

"Punch!" Coffee cried, launching herself from Capulet's shoulder and into Punch's arms. The force of momentum, plus the fact that Punch was really not expecting a projectile hug, sent both of them crashing to the floor. Punch let out an 'oof' but Coffee didn't notice, nuzzling his shoulder. The jars and vials he'd been holding had been launched into the air when he fell, but Portia caught them in her cupped hands.

As Coffee began babbling and sobbing thank-goodness's and so-glad-you're-okay's, Portia held up the items to inspect them. "Punch...what are these? What happened, why'd you scream?"

"Coffee, my love, I'm _fine_, please-" Punch gasped as Coffee finally relinquished her hold on him, and sheepishly adjusted his glasses. "Right. Girls, you'd better come with me..."

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Punch had led them all down the hall and through that door that had been locked when Capulet found it. Through it was a long stone staircase, without any light to guide the way. Or so it seemed – Punch hopped onto the first step, and the girls found that each step light up when touched. This way anyone hiding could see, but not give themselves away with light. If they were quick enough, that was.<p>

After the staircase was another, locked door, and inside there...

"Cure Ariel!" a group of fairies yelled, launching themselves at the twin-tailed girl.

Ariel smiled, hugging them to her chest. "So you've all been hiding here?" she half-laughed, half-sobbed.

"Not everyone," said one of the human occupants. "But yes, we've been using this place as shelter."

Unlike the stairway leading to it, this room was particularly well-lit. It was wide, spacious, divided into sections for the sick and injured, and Ti pointed out that the many jars and urns down a small hallway held food.

"Girls, over here!" Punch called, catching their attention again. "Bring the herbs over to me." He was standing by a curtained-off area, someone's silhouette able to be vaguely seen. The girls followed to see-

_"Tamora?!"_

"She arrived just a little bit ago," Punch explained, adjusting the blanket that covered the girl up to her chest. "That's what this medicine is for."

"Medicine?" Montague muttered. "Why does – Our attacks don't do this, do they?"

"No, that wasn't it." Punch's tone was grave as he dropped some of the herbs into a steaming cup and gently pressed the edge to Tamora's mouth. Some of the liquid trickled around the corners of her mouth, but most of it was swallowed, even if she wasn't conscious for it. "I had the physician look at her...She was pale, freezing cold, and had too slow of a heartbeat; I thought she was dead at first.

"Tamora's been poisoned."

Everyone gasped.

"I'd been speaking to you..." Punch explained, knowing what one of their next questions would be. "When..."

* * *

><p><em>Punch yelled and drew back, eyes wide in first alarm...and then terror as Riche crawled out of the small portal he'd made. Thinking quickly, he seized a nearby piece of glass, prepared to defend himself the only way he knew how-<em>

_But then his expression softened and grew confused as someone else appeared, dragged by the wrist. She fell unconsciously to the floor, and Riche gathered her up in his arms, shooting Punch a desperate look._

_"I beg you," he said. "I beg of you, I don't know where else I can – Something's wrong with Tamora, I beg you to save her. I'll do anything if you save her and don't punish her for what we've done! She's just a child, she-"_

_Punch held up one paw, looking sternly at the older man. They stayed there, locked in a staring match, a moment longer before Punch turned. "Follow me, quickly. When I reach a hallway, stay where you are, and one of our doctors will meet you."_

* * *

><p>"I couldn't abandon either of them," Punch sighed, setting the cup back on the table. "Regardless of what Shitsuren did to our land, Tamora is a child. And even knowing Riche is an adult, I couldn't condemn her because of <em>him."<em>

"Where's Riche now?" Ariel asked, holding Tamora's limp, still cold hand.

"He...He left the castle entrance," Punch said, sounding confused. "I don't know why, but he went to walk back instead of using the mirror..."

"He knew we would be here," Portia muttered. "He figured Punch was trying to speak to us, and knew we'd come. He wants to meet us directly."

"Good," said Montague, frowning. "Because _we_ want to get to the River Despair."

"What?" Punch looked up, eyes wide. "Girls, no! No, it's too dangerous for-"

"Punch, there is little other choice!" Capulet cried, face turning red. "Look at Tamora! You said yourself there are storm clouds gathering, it looks about to rain...Something's going on with the river, and we have to stop whatever it is to protect Kokoro!"

"We're not taking no for an answer," Portia added.

Punch stared. Then he looked to Tamora. And then he sighed.

"...very well then."

* * *

><p><em>"Go straight as soon as you exit the castle. Keep running until you find an arch – that's the entry to the kingdom. Continue straight, and you'll find the river."<em>

None of them knew how that would even work, but they were willing to try. They had to try.

That was why the four Cures were racing across the ruined, blackened landscape that was once Kokoro. Punch had been right – up above were dark storm-clouds, churning and threatening to burst any second. And thought it wasn't raining per se, a few noticeable drops fell to earth. Some were close enough for the girls to see that the water was indeed pitch-black. And when one grazed Capulet's cheek as it fell, it _burned_.

This had to be stopped.

Ariel led the way, knowing the area better than the others – even in its current state. Her expression hardened as she recalled what had just happened in the castle.

* * *

><p><em>"We'll come too, datchu!" Ti yelled, paws curling into fists. "We should help!"<em>

_"No, Ti," Capulet said. Despite her soft, gentle voice, there was a bit of steel beneath it. Something that said she was not to be argued with here. "We need you and Coffee to stay behind with Punch."_

_"Capulet's right." Montague put a hand on her shoulder. "It's dangerous out there. We don't know what to expect or what will happen...we'd feel a lot better if you were here, safe."_

_Before either fairy could protest, Punch reached out and gently held their paws. As the two looked at him in surprise, Punch just stared up at Pretty Cure, resolute. "I'll look after them with the others. Good luck, Pretty Cure."_

* * *

><p>"We're nearly there, look!" Ariel shouted, pointing straight ahead.<p>

Sure enough, they were. They could see something in the distance – like black lightning over the ground. Drawing closer, they saw it wasn't over ground, but over something else. The ground seemed to indent, and inside that indentation was-

"The River Despair!" Montague yelled. "We made it!"

"Good."

The girls stopped on the riverbanks, gasping at the familiar voice.

In their haste, they had failed to notice Riche on one of the rocks piercing the water's surface.

He fixed them with a hard look, shoulders tense but no other outward sign of aggression. "You want to get to the River Despair? To Heartbreak Manor? You must get past me."

"What are you even going to make an Usotsuki out of?" Portia demanded. "There's nothing here!"

"No Usotsuki this time," Riche said flatly. Before everyone's eyes, he reached up and clasped the Heartbreak Brooch on his chest.

And tore it off, tossing it into the water below. The girls gasped in horror as the waters had an adverse affect on it; before their very eyes it turned blacker than pitch, briefly trembled, then burst apart into pieces. Pure despair had been too much for it and made it shatter.

This would happen to anything that fell into the river.

"Today I'll face you..." Dark energy materialized in his open palm, swiftly elongating and becoming snake-like. He grasped it, and in a purple flash, it became a crackling whip. "With my own power!"

Riche flung the whip outward, and before anyone could react, it snaked around Ariel's wrist. She was yanked forward, yelling in alarm as she saw she was about to fall into the churning waters-

-Then slammed her feet down, digging her heels into one of the rocks dotting the surface. She stood her ground, teeth grit as she pulled her wrist back, keeping Riche from trying it again. "Don't think it'll be that easy!" she snarled.

The other three launched themselves across the river next. Portia landed beside Ariel, grabbing her wrist with one hand and the whip with the other to hold the people on both ends steady. In the very next instant, Capulet's arms snapped around Riche's middle as she intended to shove him off-balance.

"Nor for you!" Riche yelled. He didn't let go of the whip handle, but he did turn himself around suddenly. Capulet spun with him, the force of the swing forcing her to let go.

She shrieked in alarm as she sailed through the air, feet pointed to the water-

"Gotcha!" Montague intercepted her in mid-air, having landed on a rock nearby earlier and jumped back up when she saw what Riche was going to do. She held Capulet in one arm, swinging her free one at the water as they began to fall towards it again. A blast of blue energy surged from her hand. It struck the river and the sudden opposing force sent her upward again, enough time and height given to allow her to land on another rock. The only problem was it was further from the battle than before.

This didn't deter either of them, as they linked hands and faced Riche together. **"Entwine! Our hearts are one! Pretty Cure...Dual Heart Strike!"**

Riche swung his arm harder than ever-

-Flinging the other two Cures into the path of the attack.

_"Hyaaaaaaaa!"_ they shrieked as one, something like lightning dancing over their skin.

"Portia! Ariel!"

The attack didn't even stop, however. It kept going, surging around and past the girls. Towards Riche.

Having an obstacle in the way meant he didn't take a direct hit. But the force and the strength it held still affected him. Riche was shoved backwards, his eyes widening, heart jumping into his throat as he felt his feet slip out from under him. He was too far backwards now, he couldn't regain balance...

He didn't even feel the whip he still held go tauter than ever.

_Tamora..._ he thought, eyes closing.

…

…

_Clap!_

Riche's eyes opened wide when he felt the weight on his wrist. He craned his neck to see Pretty Cure, all four of them, standing in the same rock as himself. All four of them holding him by the wrist, determination in their features. Riche was literally balancing on the edge of his heel, the four girls being the only thing keeping him from falling into those churning, frothy waters.

"Pretty Cure?" he gasped.

"We're not letting you go!" Capulet yelled.

"We're not letting anyone get hurt, no matter which side they're on!" Montague added.

"We might not have been able to save Shylock or Tamora...but we can save you!" Portia declared.

"Because despite everything, we love _you_ too!" Ariel yelled.

At those words, the girls gave one mighty pull, and Riche was back on the relative safety of the rock, dropping to his knees in a mixture of shock, exhaustion, and relief.

* * *

><p>"I...found her. In the hall," Riche admitted later, after they'd all returned to the bank. He still knelt, head bowed, refusing to look at Pretty Cure directly. "I saw her there, just lying there..."<p>

He recalled how his steps had faltered when he saw her, and then he'd run forward, dropping to his knees and dirtying the knees of his pants. "Tamora!" he had cried, holding her, one hand behind her head. "Tamora, can you hear me?! Tamora!" he'd screamed, shaking her.

"She was breathing, but just barely...It was enough. I couldn't take her to Break, I knew he must have intended this. I didn't want to get Lady involved, so I took her to the only place I knew..."

"You knew we'd come too, did you?" asked Capulet gently.

Riche nodded. "I wanted to save her, and have her be pardoned...But I knew I could not be. So I waited here for you...Thinking you would surely-"

"We didn't. We wouldn't." Montague was firm. "Riche...we don't know what's going on, but this isn't the time to ask. Right now, we need to make sure the River Despair doesn't rain its water into Kokoro. Can you-?"

He shook his head. "I cannot stop it. I don't know how to do that, I don't have any of that sort of power." Finally he looked up. "But you, perhaps...No, you're Pretty Cure. You I _know_ have that power."

He stood up, not smiling. "Follow me," he said, walking forward.

Portia raised an eyebrow and planted her hands on her hips. "Riche? That's just the wall of a cliff."

"Is it now?" Riche waved a hand over it-

-and a few stones slid to the side, revealing a tunnel.

He finally did smile, seeing the girls' surprised expressions. "This way." And he went inside.

Pretty Cure all exchanged glances. This was it...Montague grabbed Capulet's hand, squeezed it reassuringly. Capulet squeezed back, and took Portia's hand with her other. Portia in turn held Ariel's hand. They smiled at one another, and moved forward.

They entered the tunnel the same way they would enter any situation, any environment.

Together.

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "The River Despair will not rain despair on Kokoro!"

Miho: "We'll destroy it, once and for all! Drain it all!"

Otome: "Wait, something else is here... Wh-What is this?!"

Aki: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Drain the River! Break Finally Appears! ' Let love heal your heart!"


	27. Chapter 27

It was eerily quiet as the five of them made their way up the stone stairs. The tunnel Riche had showed them led to a long, steep flight of stairs inside the cliff, narrow with a low ceiling. They had to walk single-file, their steps making tiny _clicks_ as they did. It was the only sound.

Capulet gasped silently as she suddenly slipped and pitched forward – and then blinked when she found someone's arms around her. She looked back and saw Ariel had caught her under the arms, and was gazing at her in concern, a silent question in her eyes. Capulet smiled shakily and nodded, prompting the teal Cure to let go.

_No wonder she slipped,_ Ariel realized as she glanced down. The steps were shining, glistening with wetness... And so were the walls, now that she looked. Must be from the river, and the falls.

The falls...the river... Ariel's hands curled into fists, her jaw setting.

And then she felt someone's hand over hers. Now it was her turn to look back.

Portia walked behind her, smiling gently as she held Ariel's hand in both of hers. She then squinted, one eye closing as the group neared a light.

Ariel looked forward, seeing they were reaching the other side of the tunnel. This was it...

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>At first they didn't think they'd gone anywhere. The landscape was nearly the same; barren and rocky, with dark skies.<p>

But another look around revealed that they had indeed gone somewhere else. They couldn't see the waterfall anymore, but instead a wide river. Kokoro seemed much smaller in the distance too, and was now somewhere below them. They'd gone up the falls and far away from them.

Riche smiled ruefully. "It's much of the same, I know," he said. "It's looked like this for a long time – longer than I have been alive." He then gestured with his arm downriver. "Follow the river, past the Heartbreak Manor. Eventually, you should find the river's source. Destroy it, and the river should stop flowing."

Montague nodded. "Thanks, Riche."

"You should get back to Kokoro," said Ariel. "We don't know what's going to happen when we find the falls' source, and it'd be best if you were out of danger. Hurry back to the kingdom before the rains get worse, and find Punch. Tell him we sent you and he'll gladly let you in."

Riche's eyes widened a bit. "But girls, are you—"

"Of course we're sure!" Capulet interrupted, looking a bit distraught. "We don't want you hurt!"

"If we find Lady, we'll tell her the same thing. Now hurry!" Portia called, breaking into a run. The others quickly followed.

Riche stood still for a few moments, staring after them with an unreadable expression. Finally, he grit his teeth and lifted his hand to cup around his mouth. "Pretty Cure!" he cried. "I hope you can forgive me! Forgive all of us!"

"Don't worry!" Portia's voice drifted over to him as the girl waved her arm over her head. "We already have!"

And then they were too far away to speak to anymore. Riche stared after them, slowly lowering his hand back down. After a moment he let out a small, ironic chuckle, his hand over his heart. "What a pure love they have," he murmured.

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Drain the River! Break Finally Appears!<p>

* * *

><p>They didn't know how long they ran. The skies never lightened or darkened, so they couldn't be sure if it was day or night. But they didn't think about that. They just kept running.<p>

The water overflowed the riverbed, higher in some places than others. So even when they tried to keep a reasonable, safe distance from the river, they would find themselves briefly running a few centimeters of black water. Luckily for them, this wasn't enough to do any damage as it had to Riche's brooch, or make them fall into despair.

At first they moved in silence. Finally, Capulet spoke up: "Do you think he'll make it alright?"

"He has to," Ariel said simply. She stared straight ahead, expression neutral. She couldn't show fear...She had to believe Riche had made it to safety, and she shouldn't be afraid. "I'm sure he did," she added, fists tightening.

"What do you think the source of the river is?" Montague asked, glancing at the river. "Rivers come from oceans, right?"

"An ocean of despair?!" Capulet cried in dismay. "I don't want to have to face an entire _ocean!_"

"I don't think it's an ocean, Capulet," said Ariel.

"How do you know?! What if it _is_ an ocean? What if it's an entire dark ocean of despair? And it's full of despair sea monsters and-"

"Capulet, stop, you're making _me_ anxious now!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't an ocean.<p>

To their confusion, the river entered a large brick tunnel that fed into a large building. And that building was _not_ Heartbreak Manor.

"Did you know this was here?" asked Capulet with a frown.

Ariel slowly shook her head, confusion evident in her eyes. "No, I never did," she muttered, stepping into the tunnel and the dark. "It just keeps going..." she said quietly. "Come on, guys," she added, looking over her shoulder.

They walked in the darkness once again, Capulet clinging to Montague's hand. "I don't like this," she said.

"I know, it's dark, huh?" Portia said.

Capulet shook her head. "Not that. It's the quiet. Listen."

Everyone hushed as they walked, keeping their ears sharp. And...Capulet was right.

Whereas before, when they were outside, there was a quiet rumble in the distance that told them the storm was worsening by the minute, small splashing sounds around their feet as they ran, the rushing water of the river itself...

But here there was nothing.

Even the river seemed quieter, unnaturally so. It didn't churn, it didn't splash or slosh, it just...was.

The quiet nearly choked them, now that they focused on it.

"Something's not right," whispered Portia. "_Nothing_ should be this quiet." She frowned, realizing belatedly that she'd whispered. Why had she even done that? That just made things worse!

And yet, the odd part was...

"We should just hurry and get rid of this."

She couldn't _stop_ whispering.

The others nodded, and kept moving.

They didn't speak anymore, because there was really nothing more to say. They just kept following the river inside the tunnel until they found a dead end of sorts. There was a large wall with a grate that the river poured out of, and in that wall was a door. A well-fired arrow from Ariel made quick work of it, yet even as its struck and blew a hole in the wall, the sound was muted. The girls exchanged glances and made their way inside.

* * *

><p>Inside was no better sound-wise than the outside. But the inside itself...<p>

"It looks like Heartbreak Manor," whispered Ariel. "Except without all the scratches on the walls..."

"Could it be another part of it?" asked Capulet. "Like servants' quarters?"

"But they don't have servants...I would know if they did."

"But then what's this here for? The river just goes into the wall but this is like a mansion itself! It doesn't make any-"

"Sh!" Montague held a finger to her lips.

Portia shot her a look. "Did you just _shush_ me?!"

"Shh!" Montague hissed again. She was standing against the wall, pressing her ear to it and closing her eyes. After a few moments of silence, her eyes opened and she spoke again. "I hear something in there."

The others came over, mimicking Montague's pose and closing their eyes. After a moment, Portia's eyes snapped open again. "Hey, you're right..."

The sound was faint, barely perceptible, but it was the river. They could hear the water rushing past in a dull, faint roar. But beneath that, there was a little more. The faint rush almost sounded like a thumping heart, as if the water were pushing forward and then being pulled back, before repeating the process over again til it reached the outside. And beneath _that..._

"Do you hear _voices?"_ asked Capulet.

"I...I don't know." Ariel frowned, pressed her ear harder against the wall, and finally shook her head. "I can't tell, it's so quiet..."

"The River Despair doesn't _talk._ Does it?" Portia sounded a little unsure.

"I don't...think so." But Ariel looked just as unsure as Portia sounded. She pulled back from the wall, the others following suit. "Let's go."

And this was how they moved throughout the labyrinthine mansion; keeping close to the wall and having a sharp ear. When there was a fork, they would pause and listen carefully to the faint rush-thumping noise to determine which direction it was loudest. Once again, none of them actually spoke, letting the only sounds be the ones in the wall. Even their feet didn't make noise upon the soft carpeted floors.

This didn't make the journey peaceful, of course. Between the near-dead silence and the darkness in this new mansion, it was as if they were walking right into a horror movie. None of them dared to break it, Capulet even found herself reaching for Montague's hand again.

Little by little, the sound grew louder, until finally they stopped a large, steel door.

"Steel?" Portia quipped, an eyebrow arched. "That's a bit out of place..."

"It's _weird,"_ Montague agreed.

Capulet just stared, frowning lightly. "Can we go in?"

"I'm not- ah!" Ariel yelped a little as the handle gave way under her touch. She shot the girls a nervous smile over her shoulder and added "I guess we can. Ready?"

They nodded as one, and held their breath as Ariel opened the door.

The sound hit them like a physical blow, making all four of them freeze in place, hearts in their throats.

A second later, they registered the sight before them, realizing what the horrible noise was.

Wailing.

Screaming.

Sobbing.

From more people than they could count.

* * *

><p>They were in a long, wide hallway with stone walls and a deep red carpet. All along the walls, stacked from floor to ceiling, going from the door all the way down to the other side, were glass cylinders, protruding halfway from the walls. They were roughly three feet in circumference, four feet tall. All of them were glowing a bright, brilliant blue, the light casting eerie shadows across the girls and the hall itself. A network of tubes emerged from the cylinders, twisting and coiling around each other to merge into one huge, twisting cord, pulsing with a black and purple aura.<p>

And inside every tube was a person, slumping against the side or crumpled on the floor, screaming and wailing as if their very soul was shattering into pieces.

People, ranging from children to middle-aged adults – no, Ariel realized with a sick gasp, seeing a tube nearby containing an old woman. People wearing black suits, jeans and sweaters, school uniform; people in the light and soft clothing of Kokoro. Royal guards. Children.

Every single one of them bore a slashed-heart symbol on their chests, pulsing in time with the sobbing, with the auras.

"Noa!" screamed Montague in horror, nearly tripping in her haste to get to one particular tube. She slammed her palms against the side, staring with wide eyes and a pale face at the girl inside. Her classmate, still in her school uniform, lay in a crumpled heap in the middle of her prison, her sobs hoarse and gasping as tears streamed steadily down her cheeks. One of her hands twitched, as if this was all she had the energy to do.

"She's been here this whole time..." Montague whispered, her voice raw.

"Over there!" Capulet cried, pointing out two cylinders in particular. Inside were two adults, both wearing ornate clothing and jeweled crowns. Even if she weren't a Kokoro citizen, she knew who these people were.

"Your Majesties!" cried Ariel, instinctively running towards them.

Throughout all of this, the sound of screaming, crying, wailing, pleas for parents or spouses, pressed against Pretty Cure like a wall. They could practically feel the screaming pounding in rhythm with their hearts, feel the sobs in their veins, their heads pounded with them...

"This is _horrible!"_ Portia screamed herself, shutting her eyes tight and pressing her fists to her ears, trying to drown out the noise. But even as she did that, she could _sense_ what was still happening, knew what it sounded like. "I can't take it, I can't take it!"

"Make it stop..." Montague half-sobbed herself, her eyes still focused on her weeping classmate. Her fingers curled, her hands becoming trembling fists against the glass. _"Make it stop!"_ she begged. With a loud, shrill scream, she pulled her fist back, and slammed it against the side of the container.

The glass didn't even crack.

_"I said stop!"_ Montague screamed, voice barely heard over the crying and shrieking of the captives. Her fist slammed forward again, making the tiniest of hollow thumps. The glass didn't so much as tremor.

_"Make this stop! We have to make this __**stop!"**_ she screamed, clapping her hands together.

_"Montague!"_ Capulet cried, eyes wide.

A flash of purple light, and Montague held her Rapier Wand in both hands. She took one step back, swinging her weapon in front of herself, tip aimed at the glass directly before her. **"****Pretty Cure Majestic Amethyst Shoot!"**

The blast struck the glass...and burst apart upon impact, the tiny particles of light disappearing into nothing.

"The glass...we can't break it," Portia breathed raspily, hands still over her ears.

Montague gripped her wand tighter. "Then I'll try harder!" she roared. **"Amethyst Shoot! Amethyst Shoot! Amethyst Shoot!" **

Bursts of purple light kept hitting the glass, just disintegrating into nothingness. The container remained just as it always was, the girl inside not once quieting her cries. Montague felt as if each sob was a knife,d riving into her heart, and with a loud yell she readied another blast. **"Amethyst-"**

_"Montague!"_

Montague then felt Capulet's arms wrap tightly around her, the suddenness of the action shocking her into stopping. She blinked, staring at the undamaged glass before her as if seeing it for the first time.

Capulet hugged her tighter, but not enough to hurt. "It's not _working,"_ she said, just loud enough for Montague to hear her over the screaming and crying. "We have to try something else!"

"Lovely Form, we can try Lovely Form!" Portia shouted desperately.

"But what if we hurt the people?!" Ariel yelled, scrubbing the tears away from her face. "We have to-"

"I _wondered_ why there was a hole in my wall."

The quartet whirled around to look in the doorway. Capulet hugged Montague tighter, this time in slight fear.

Standing in the doorway, looking down at them all, was the cloaked form of Break. "I do trust there is a good explanation for why you are here, and Riche is not?" Their red eyes narrowed slightly as the hooded head tilted to the side, as if in thought. "Hm...But this could pose a problem..." Break said, their quiet voice somehow managing to lift above the suffering cries of the hostages. "I _did_ want to keep appearances, but it seems for the moment I'll have to focus some of my power elsewhere."

The air shimmered and shifted around them, and an odd ring of black mist expanded from Break's chest and passed down the hallway. Each captive it passed by went quiet – not that they stopped crying, but more like someone had lowered the volume on a television, or they were underwater. They cried on, and as the Cures looked at them for a moment, they saw that the sobs were just as powerful as ever. Just quieter.

"There. Now we can hear each other better and won't have to shout over each other." Break's voice was clearer, different in pitch now.

Ariel gasped sharply as everyone looked back at their enemy.

Lady stood in the doorway, smiling with her hands clasped at waist-level. Her eyes opened, revealing vivid gold irises. "Shouting is terribly undignified," she said simply.

* * *

><p><em><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>_

__Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.__

* * *

><p>The near-silence was almost overpowering as none of the Cures spoke a word. They all just stared forward, wide-eyed at the woman before them.<p>

She no longer wore her usual dress; it was almost like she had decided to dress up for this unsettling occasion. This new, floor-length dress was pale lilac in color, with a deep violet bodice. The trumpet sleeves had large, puffy shoulders, and ended in a mass of feather-like frills in the same color as the dress's bodice. It had a keyhole neckline, and two small black gems dotting the way to the heart-shaped window in the fabric, showing the woman's cleavage. A violet-jeweled circlet adorned her head, with a large purple diamond resting between her brows. It wasn't a very complex dress, but the way she wore it and carried herself in it more than made up for it.

Lady smiled serenely as she strode to one of the glass prisons, resting her palm against it. "It _is_ lovely, isn't it?" she asked. "So much despair and heartbreak, and all in one place. They all have so many silly little things to despair over, too: school, family, friends, a lost pet, a trifle argument...a kingdom." Her smile widened slightly, her lips seeming to stretch thin. "It's incredible. I never saw the likes of this until-"

"You..." Ariel breathed.

Lady didn't seem to hear, still looking into the container. "Well, until I put it all together, of course." She laughed lightly, as if she'd just made a little joke during some gossip. "Look about you; all this despair and heartbreak, in one place, going to one place. Every drop of pure misery from their hearts going to the river...And from there..."

_"You..."_

Finally, Lady looked back at the girls, still smiling. "Hm, yes?"

Capulet's eyes were wide as she thought back, all the way to Aki's birthday party. _The woman with the box..._ "It was..."

Portia remembered her dog bag home. Her poor Pochi, what this strange woman had done to him. "It was..."

Montague said what everyone else was trying to. "It was always _you."_

Ariel's eyes went even wider.

* * *

><p><em>Shylock was reaching for them; they were going to Earth together. He fell forward. Behind him, as he died, stood Break...<em>

* * *

><p>"Aha, yes, thank you!" Lady chuckled girlishly, turning bodily to face the girls and dipping into a low curtsy. "Truly, thank you for realizing my greatness. It <em>is<em> an honor to have the legendary warriors recognize-"

An animalistic war cry cut her off. Ariel surged forward in a teal blur, eyes blazing, lips curled, the brilliant gold energy around her hands giving them the appearance of being on fire. In no time flat, she was directly in front of the smiling Lady. _**"You **__**murderer!"**_

It happened almost too quickly to process. Ariel swung her fist at Lady's face, her other hand already summoning her bow. But Lady didn't stop smiling, or look remotely concerned. She just took three steps backwards as effortlessly as if she were dancing, and backhanded Ariel. Normally this would mean nothing, but Ariel found herself flying backwards into the girls' arms.

It meant nothing to her, though, and she flung herself at Lady again, snarling in rage and swinging her fist once more.

There was a loud slapping sound, but it wasn't Ariel's fist making contact with Lady's flesh.

Instead, Lady smiled down at Ariel, holding her wrist fast with one hand, her other hand over Ariel's other fist. "My, my," she said simply. "Such a temper, Cure Ariel. I've never seen you like this before. Though I suppose I can't blame you. After all, you are right – I did kill Shylock." And with that, Lady flung Ariel back, a blast of black energy making her fly faster and hit the ground harder.

"And...and that means you poisoned Tamora," Capulet realized. "And you've been – if you're Break, that means you've been lying to everyone this whole time, too!"

"You're the one who attacked Kokoro!" Portia yelled. "_All of it_ was you!"

"Yes, we have established this," Lady said simply, sighing to herself.

"But...but how could you lie to the others?!"

"How could you do this to people?"

Lady's eyes flashed, her lips curling back to bare her teeth as she smiled more wolfishly. _"Easily._

"You really think I cared for the others? I never said any such thing. They were my family, my husband, but I don't care for them at all. In this world, the only person one should _ever_ love is themselves.

"After all, what use is love for anything? It gives nothing, offers nothing, it's just a thing that exists for no reason. There's no need for it; that's what I always thought."

"But that's-" Capulet began to say.

Lady's fingers twitched, and suddenly the shrieking and wailing went back to full volume. Capulet cried out and covered her ears, as did the others. Another twitch and the sound was gone.

"Everyone around me told me that love was a wonderful, warm thing, but I never saw a point to it. They said it was beautiful, but I see no beauty in it. I never did... But it was easy to pretend," she added with a sly smile.

"Riche loved you..." Montague said, voice quavering.

"If he wanted to, I allowed it," Lady said.

"Alright, but why?" Capulet's hands curled into fists. "If you don't see any point to love, why go to these lengths?!"

Lady just smiled wider, and clapped her hands. "Oh, that's simple!

_"I wanted to."_

Silence at first. Ariel was the first to speak. "What...?"

"I wanted to. Simple as that."

As she spoke, Ariel's fists were trembling. Lady paid no heed.

"Nothing special behind my reasoning really, except..." Her gaze shifted back to the glass container that held Noa. "Except there was one thing I loved to see; despair. I wasn't just satisfied, living in a world full of love that I cared nothing for. I thought it would be much more fun if I made everyone's worlds _ut-ter-ly and com-plete-ly fall a-part~"_ she closed her eyes again, smile widening.

_"You __**monster!"**_ screamed Ariel, summoning her bow and arrow. Before anyone could react, she aimed an arrow at Lady and fired.

Lady's eyes snapped open with an expression of cold fury, as she swung her arm out and deflected the golden arrow.

The attack struck one of the tubes in the ceiling-

-and small hairline cracks of light appeared in it.

Montague gasped. "Ariel, look!"

"No!" Lady yelled, charging forward.

**"Glorious Golden Shoot!"** A blast of gold shot out from Capulet's Rapier Wand, striking Lady in the chest and sending her reeling backwards.

The woman held her chest in anger and lifted her head, but the girls were already gone.

* * *

><p>Pretty Cure ran as fast as they could down the hall, trying not to look at the people on either side of them. "Get further down!" Capulet was yelling. "Don't risk hitting any hostages!"<p>

"Right!"

**"Bronze Truth Shoot!"** Portia summoned her weapon and fired an attack above and in front of her. The light struck the tubes and created more cracks that spread through it like veins.

The others followed Portia's example, firing their own attacks as they ran, slowly weakening the tubes that fed all that despair into the riverbed itself. More and more cracks appeared, like spiderwebs-

-and then several attacks hit the same spot at once. The cracks created from this were wider and covered more of the tube than the previous ones. Those cracks traveled much further down the tubes' length, an encouraging sign.

"Hit that spot again!" Montague yelled, swinging her Rapier Wand again.

**"Pretty Cure Dual Heart Strike!"**

"**...Bronze Truth Shoot!"**

"**...Lovely Arrow!"**

By now the cracks were no longer hairline; they were widening now, golden light sparking around them.

Lady appeared then, as suddenly as if she came from the shadows themselves. "You don't know what you're doing," she said simply.

"Yes we do!" cried Capulet.

"We're stopping this!" Portia sent away her Box of Revelations and brought her ring to her lips.

"Once and for _all!"_ Ariel yelled.

****"Pretty Cure! Love's Song!"****

****"Abundant innocent love, Lovely Cure Capulet! Pretty Cure Golden Innocent Shoot!"****

****"Abundant sincere love, Lovely Cure Montague! Pretty Cure Amethyst Sincere Shoot!"****

****"Abundant steadfast love, Lovely Cure Portia! Pretty Cure Bronze Steadfast Shoot!"****

****"Abundant steadfast love, Lovely Cure Ariel! Pretty Cure Lovely Steadfast Arrow!"****

One by one, rapid-fire the attacks struck the same spot the girls had been hitting before. Each attack did more damage than the last, until finally Ariel's arrow struck-

-and there was an explosion of light and darkness.

The girls were forced to close their eyes and cover their heads as the tubes burst apart, spraying the despair water like a destroyed pipeline. The damage from their attacks made the large cracks shoot all the way down the tubing to the machines, destroying them from the inside, making them burst apart. Water surged everywhere, mixed with the glowing gold of their combined attacks, until it seemed the girls were submerged in an ocean of light.

It was too much for the building to withstand too, as it was blasted apart, the chunks of material and foundation turning to dust and blowing away.

They thought they heard Lady shriek, but then their senses faded altogether.

* * *

><p>In his human form, Punch led a large group to the remains of the mansion in a dead run. They'd all seen the storm clouds burst apart in a shower of golden sparks, the rain and river dry up. And they knew: Pretty Cure had done it.<p>

They just had to _find_ them.

The landscape looked less sinister now. Oh, it was still rocky and barren, but the skies had cleared up for the most part, leaving nothing but the occasional dark gray cloud with silver linings. And now the dark cloud that meant a storm, the dark cloud that meant the sun was on its way.

The ground was damp, but the riverbed was empty, and sunlight filtered upon everything. That was a good sign, right?

They found the victims of Lady's machines first, miraculously unscathed (perhaps the power of Pretty Cure had protected them?) and lying unconscious among shattered glass. Punch ordered half of the group to tend to them and get them back to Kokoro, while he and the others ran further into the wreckage to find the legendary warriors.

Finally, they did.

"Pretty Cure!" Punch cried.

The girls were in their civilian forms now, lying unconscious among the rubble, glass and pieces of tubing. Their clothes and hair were a bit damp from the liquid despair, their expressions peaceful. Punch's heart leaped into his throat; they looked almost _too_ peaceful. "Pretty Cure!" he yelled again, running into the wreckage without care.

He stumbled a bit, reaching Miho first. Gently gripping her shoulders, he lifted her upper body and shook lightly. "Cure Portia! _Cure Portia!"_

"...hm..?" Miho's brows furrowed slightly before she opened her eyes, blinking in the sunlight. "Punch?"

"Portia!" he gasped, smiling a bit.

Miho blinked once again, then her face brightened into a large grin. "We did it," she breathed. "Hey! Hey, girls, wake up!" she yelled, pushing away from Punch and sitting upright on her own. Around her, the other three started to stir and open their eyes. "Girls, wake up, we did it!"

Otome pushed herself off the stone was was sprawled out on, looking around in wonder. "The river...it's gone!" she gasped.

Aki and Hiromi laughed and hugged each other tight, heedless of the rest of the search party coming for them.

_"It's over, we did it!"_ Miho cheered.

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Miho: "It's over; it's over at last!"

Otome: "We have rebuilding to do, but I think it's okay to celebrate a bit first."

Aki: "Good idea, Otome – wh-what, hey, what are all these dresses?!"

Hiromi: "Why are we going to the ballroom? Oh my God, we're going to be princesses! Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: '**Day Of Love; A Lovely Night!**'"

* * *

><p><strong>[AN Credit for Lady's new dress goes to the lovely Luigipony.]]**


	28. Chapter 28

It was a sunny, peaceful morning in Kokoro, the first sunny day the kingdom had had in a long time. The sunlight filtered between the open, white shimmering curtains and into the large, pristine white sitting room. Rosy pink couches and chairs surrounded a small white table, which held a tall, narrow vase with a pink rose. A few small bookshelves were pushed against the walls, holding a variety of books, but none of the occupants were reading them.

Instead, the four girls were all fast asleep on the couches, thin white blankets drawn up to their shoulders. The only movement came from the slight rise and fall of their shoulders and chests as they slept, or the occasional twitch of fingers.

And then the serenity was broken by the doors being thrown open and two fairies barreling into the room.

_"Pretty Cure, datchu!"_ yelled Ti. The little fairy launched himself off the floor and smacked into Hiromi's face. The girl bolted upright and squealed in shock, but Ti paid her no mind. Instead he just hugged her face and nuzzled his nose to her skin. "Pretty Cure, you did it, datchu, you did it thank you thank you datchu!"

"Whoa, Ti, calm down," Miho said with a yawn as she raised her upper body off the couch, disturbing Otome in the process.

"I can't, datchu!" Ti cried, leaping over to her next. "I can't, I can't-"

"Now, now, dear, try to contain yourself..." laughed a feminine voice.

The girls froze, breath catching. And then they looked to the floor, Hiromi pulling Ti off her face and holding him in her cupped hands.

Down below them stood two rat-like fairies, one male and one female. The female was butter yellow in color, with bright blue eyes, and a tiny pearl circlet on her head. The other was white with green eyes, and wore a red jewel at his throat. They weren't wearing any other finery, but it was clear who they were.

"Your Highnesses!" Otome gasped, dropping into a kneeling position. "It's good to see you awake and..." She fumbled for the words.

"Not despairing?" King Cider finished with a wry smile.

"We woke up less than an hour ago," said Queen Meringue. "And the two of us were talking, and after everything we've heard, we feel it would be a good idea..."

There was a short pause after the queen spoke of their plan, the girls blinking as they processed this.

Then they all spoke as one. _"Ehhhh? A ball?!"_

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>"This is the way we see it," explained Meringue, as the group walked down the hallway. By now the girls were all in plain white, lacy dresses while their day clothes were washed. Said hallway, as the girls looked around, was much cleaner than it had been last time they'd come here, and of course a lot brighter. But that was no surprise; all around them were people and fairies alike cleaning and repairing what was left to fix. The same thing was happening all over the kingdom. It wouldn't be healed overnight, but with everyone working together... Well, the kingdom would be back on its feet in no time.<p>

"While there is much work to do in healing our kingdom, we feel that what is also important is to celebrate and be happy again. Especially for those who were captured by Break."

"You mean Lady..." Hiromi mumbled quietly, eyes downcast.

"...yes," Meringue said in a low voice. "Those who were captured and held by Lady." Then she turned around, and the dark, depressed edge was gone from her voice. "We will be sending those who were taken from your own world back home this evening, and we think it will be beneficial for _everyone's_ emotional state if we have a night to have fun and relax. Something happy after...well, after what happened all these months."

"I think that's a great idea!" said Miho, grinning broadly. "Who says you gotta get back to work right away, huh? Er, well, okay, so there's a little work to do – but it's going to a good cause: a party!" She punctuated her sentence by punching the air.

"I think a party is a little different from a ball, though," said Aki.

"And another thing," said Cider. "We want you to attend as well, as the guests of honor."

"..._ehhhh?"_

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: Day Of Love; A Lovely Night!<p>

* * *

><p>"Ahhhhh, I don't wanna go to the ball!" Hiromi sighed, shoulders slumping.<p>

"Wow, it's like Cinderella...but in reverse," said Miho.

The girls had left the castle just a few minutes ago, after it was suggested they let the preparations be made and just go enjoy themselves. And Otome had mentioned they should get new dresses for the ball that night, so that settled it. Coffee had joined them by this point, sitting proudly on Otome's shoulder as they walked down the path from the castle and towards the busy kingdom.

"You shouldn't reject an invitation from royalty, Hiromi!" said Coffee. "It's bad luck!"

Hiromi looked over at the fairy, her eyes wide and shimmering. "I knoooow but...But once we get started-!"

_Hiromi was clad in a large, white ballgown as she stood off to one side. She looked over and saw Aki smiling and holding out her hand, a silent invite for a dance. Hiromi blushed and accepted, they made their way to the floor..._

_And then Hiromi's heel snapped, causing her to trip and stumble all the way to the buffet table. She crashed into it, upending all the food onto herself and the floor as everyone looked her way._

_"Oh my God, she's a Pretty Cure?"_

_"She can't walk in heels!"_

_"She ruined our snacks!"_

_"It's an omen! The kingdom is heading for disaster!" someone yelled as Usotsuki suddenly appeared from all sides. A moment later, Kokoro exploded._

"Nooooooo, it wasn't my faaauuuult!" Hiromi wailed skyward, hands gripping her hair as everyone leaped backwards in shock.

"What the heck did you imagine?!" said Miho.

"Hiromi, it's _okay,"_ said Aki, taking Hiromi's hands in hers. "You'll be fine! We'll be there too, remember? It's not just you."

"Besides, you don't have to dance if you don't want," added Otome, as if she'd read Hiromi's mind. "I've been to the palace balls before – there's a lot of food you can eat, you can stand off to the side and relax, you can mingle...no one's expected to dance _all_ the time, and it's not unusual for some people to not dance at all."

Miho grinned behind her hand. "It's kinda funny. She has no problem fighting off a horrible monster of a woman, yet she's terrified of a ball."

Hiromi turned red, pouting and puffing her cheeks out.

Aki laughed, gently patting her head. "There, there...A-Ah-!" she suddenly gasped as a familiar person walked past.

The others noticed it too, and reacted in kind. "Wait, isn't that-?" Hiromi began.

The girl turned around. "Huh?" Noa, wearing a lacy white dress similar to the other girls', turned around to look at them. She stared for a moment, blinking, before smiling and holding up a hand in greeting. "Hi there! Nice day, huh?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned back around and continued on her way, humming a soft tune under breath.

The others just stared after her. "Hey, Coffee..." Aki finally said. "What was that about?"

"Punch told me about this. All the victims have been invited to the ball as well, and they're going to be given free reign in the city until then. Afterwards, they'll all go to sleep and be sent home." She smiled, soft and sad. "They deserve to have a carefree night too."

"Are you sure that's okay?" asked Miho. "I mean, won't they remember this?"

Coffee just shook her head, a wistful smile still on her face. "No. When they go home, they'll believe they had a very long nightmare, followed by a pleasant dream."

* * *

><p>This turned out to be true for everyone, at least to some extent. As group made their way through the market area, they met a few more people who were definitely not from Kokoro. Oh, they were dressed the same, but the girls just had a <em>feeling.<em> And while those people didn't seem to recognize either the girls or the fact they weren't on Earth, and _barely_ seem to recall what had happened to them before, Kokoro civilians were a bit different.

"Excuse me!" called a vendor, waving them over. "You girls are the ones who saved us, right? Here!" she smiled sweetly and held out a tray with pink and yellow pastries on it. "These are for you, on the house!"

"Whoa, thanks!" cried Miho at the same time Otome asked "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" said the lady. "It's the very least I could do, after you got us out of that dreadful tower."

Miho nearly dropped her pastry. "You _remember...?"_ she breathed.

"Bits and pieces," the vendor admitted, looking sadly at her counter top. "Mostly, I remember lying on a floor, feeling like the lowest of the low, like everything was against me. Like nothing would go well no matter what I did, and that there was just no point to anything. Sometimes that woman would come in to look at us, but that was all. I don't even know how long I was in there; days just blurred together."

She finally smiled again, lifting her head to look at the group. "But that's over now! You got us out, and while it will take a bit of time to get our lives back to normal, at least we have a celebration to look forward to too."

"Ah! That's right!" Coffee cried. "We have to get to the dress shop! Come on, everyone!"

"Stop by the coffee shop sometime today!" the vendor yelled as the girls walked off. "He wants to give you free drinks!"

* * *

><p>They did stop at the coffee shop, and sure enough there <em>were<em> free drinks for both humans and fairies. And after that, it seemed like _everyone_ wanted to stop and speak to them, or offer them a gift.

A few kids insisted they stop to play ball with them. An older lady stopped them to give them one flower each. A fruit vendor gave them a bag of citrus fruit. Even someone's dog ran up to them to give them kisses – that had confused Aki a fair bit.

They _finally_ made it to the dress shop and spent nearly an hour trying on clothes and jewelry. At some point, Miho found a small pearl tiara and checked how it looked on all of them but Hiromi. She wanted to see it on Hiromi, but the blonde covered the top of her head and ran out of reach every time, much to everyone else's amusement. Eventually Miho put it on her own head and walked around like that the rest of the excursion, acting like she was on a catwalk while Hiromi stood before a mirror and held a dress in front of herself.

"Are you sure we won't be kicked out?" Hiromi asked later, looking past her reflection to the shop owner in the background. "We're being a bit rowdy..."

"Oh, trust me, it's nothing I'm not used to," the shop owner called back.

"I think we'll be okay," Aki said, clapping a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. "I mean, we're not being _that_ bad – I think the yukata shops when festivals are coming up are way worse."

"Hmm..."

"Hiromi." Otome popped up behind her, grinning at her in the mirror. "It's _okay_! Have fun, find something you like, and don't be nervous! Just think of it as another festival."

"And after we find dresses, we can swing by for another few pastries!" said Miho.

"Girls, you'll spoil your appetites!" Coffee yelled as everyone laughed.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Night was beginning to fall, the first stars appearing in the sky. A crowd of people was slowly trickling into the palace ballroom, everyone wearing finery and a smile. Now in their human forms, the king and queen stood on a raised platform in the middle of the room, acknowledging each person with a smile and a nod.<p>

In the darkened hallway, the girls stood with Coffee and Ti, idly adjusting their outfits.

Hiromi stared at the floor, glasses fogged up and hands trembling. She jumped slightly when a gloved hand rested over hers.

"You still nervous?" Aki whispered, a gentle smile on her face.

"U-Uhm...maybe a little," Hiromi admitted, blushing faintly.

"Hey." Miho grinned, placing her own hand over Hiromi's as well. "We're all with you, remember?"

"Just stay with one of us if you're too nervous, okay?" Otome added.

Hiromi smiled shakily and nodded once. "R-Right."

_"Citizens of Kokoro, it is our greatest pleasure and honor to present...the newest generation of legendary warriors, Pretty Cure!"_

The girls all smiled, joined hands, and stepped into the ballroom to great applause.

* * *

><p><em>"Welcome, Pretty Cure! Thank you!"<em>

After their introduction, the girls were free to go about the party and do whatever they wanted. Ti and Coffee took their cues to exit; Ti ran over to his parents while Coffee excitedly made her way to Punch, who seemed to be trying his hardest to look dignified even as she tackle-hugged him.

Hiromi shyly made her way to the buffet table, not sure what _else_ she could do. She paused, glancing at the others with a forlorn expression. The other girls had drifted off and apart, like social butterfly princesses.

Princesses...They all even looked like princesses. Aki had diamond clips holding her bangs back off her forehead, and wore a deep blue mermaid dress with a draped bodice. It's color slowly shifted to pale aqua as it went towards the floor and trailed ever-so-slightly behind her, and she wore elbow-length gloves the same color as the dress's bottom.

Miho was wearing a dark brown dress with a skirt that fanned out slightly at the knees and had cap sleeves. A simple enough dress at first glance, but as she moved, it glimmered with gold sparkles, and had a slight sheen. She didn't wear her hair in its usual buns, letting it falls over her shoulder-blades. She wore simple brown shoes and beige stockings beneath it; simple accessories for a simple dress.

Well, Hiromi acknowledged, glancing at the pearl tiara she still wore, maybe not all of it was simple.

She glanced over at Otome next, who stood talking to a group of small children. Even dressed up, it seemed they found her approachable as ever. She wore a seafoam-green dress with a full tulle skirt, a thin, silver jeweled belt looping around her waist. Her hair had been piled up atop her head and secured with small pins, and every part of her ensemble caught the light like she wore sun-sparkling sea itself.

And Hiromi...Hiromi glanced down at herself, blushing awkwardly. She'd loved the dress when she saw it in the shop, a soft pink dress with a full-length tulle and chiffon skirt. The off-shoulder straps were pink as well, transparent and shimmery. To complete it, a few light pink roses were strategically placed; a large one over one shoulder, and four smaller rosettes at her waist, two on each side.

She'd loved it in the shop, but... Well, did she look a bit childish? Maybe? She'd let her hair out of its ponytails for the party, but-

Oh, she was even acting childish too, she realized, still staring at the table. She'd seen Otome chatting with some kids, Miho was excitedly introducing herself to someone who was apparently a painter, and Aki had gone out to the dance floor already to do a little solo number.

And here she was, just standing here. Like a wallflower...

"Hiromiiii~ You're thinking too hard again~" came a voice behind her, and Hiromi jumped as she found her sides being poked.

"Hyaaah! A-Aki!" she squealed, whirling around.

It wasn't just Aki. Aki, Miho, _and_ Otome were all there, smiling cheerfully at her. _How'd they move so fast?!_ Hiromi thought.

"Hiromi. You're thinking too hard and worrying again," Aki repeated herself. "What are you thinking about?"

"U-Uhm..." Hiromi fidgeted, glancing everywhere but her friends. Finally, as her gaze rested on the punch bowl, she admitted: "I was thinking...I l-look like such a kid next to you guys."

"Huh?" Miho blinked. "For serious? How come?"

"W-Well!" Hiromi turned red. "I mean...you guys look so good, and mature. And you're legendary warriors, and...I'm...I'm just Hiromi." The others exchanged glances, but she didn't notice. "Otome was locked up for months and was really brave through the whole thing, and she fought off Usotsuki on her own before all this. And she's been fighting longest out of any of us. Miho's pursuing her dream and doesn't care what anyone thinks of her and is just so cool. Aki's...Aki's strong and pretty and mature and everyone likes her. And I'm...I'm Hiromi." Her voice was slowly getting quieter, until it was nothing but a low murmur. "I wonder why you guys even spend time with me sometimes...What you see in me."

The others looked at each other, brows knitted. Aki opened her mouth to speak, but a raised hand from Miho cut her off. Miho smiled and stepped towards Hiromi, resting her hands on her shoulders. "Hey, Hiromi...You remember when you agreed to be Nana's model?"

"Eh?" Hiromi looked up, blinking back tears.

"To be honest...she didn't need you as often as she did. I invited you back because I liked you, and you were my friend. I wanted to hang out again, so I asked her to invite you over more. Because I liked you."

Hiromi blinked again.

"Hiromi is cute, and sweet, and fun!" Miho went on. "So you're shy, that's no big deal. We still like ya, dummy-head." She poked her tongue out and rapped Hiromi's forehead with her knuckles.

"You're pretty brave too, you know," said Otome. "And you've got a huge heart – you helped get me out of Heartbreak Manor, remember?"

"Aaaaand you're my girlfriend – if I didn't like you, would we still be together? You're everything the others said," added Aki. "Seriously, Hiromi...don't stress it. 'kay?"

"U-Uhm..."

"Hey, you wanna dance?" Aki suddenly grinned and held her hand out.

Another few stunned blinks, and Hiromi smiled. "Uhm! O-Okay!" she said, placing her hand in Aki's.

"C'mon~!" Aki cheered, dragging her girlfriend to the dance floor. "It's a party! Have fun!"

* * *

><p>Dancing went on for a while longer, the night drifting on. After a time, Otome found herself sitting in a thoughtfully-provided chair, resting her feet and watching the other three dance and talk. She smiled a little...They'd all come so far, hadn't they?<p>

She wasn't aware of a presence at her side until someone cleared their throat.

"Ah! Riche – Tamora! You're awake!" Otome gasped.

Tamora leaned against Riche, her hands tightly gripping his arm. Her skin was still a bit too pale, and her mouth looked a little green, but she was upright and conscious, the important things. She smiled weakly at Otome, leaning her head against Riche. "H-Hi..."

Riche patted Tamora's back. "She woke up a few hours ago," he admitted quietly. "I wanted to wait til tomorrow to bring her up, but she insisted on seeing everyone here."

"Tamora, Riche, are the two of you alright?" Otome frowned in concern. "I mean...Tamora, you're still...and Riche-"

"Say no more," Riche said thickly, his eyes closing. "Your friend, Punch, told me all about it."

"And...you're believing us? So quickly?"

"Oh, I don't _wish_ to," said Riche. "But at the same time, I cannot deny it either...None of us saw Break without a cloak, or out of the shadows. Lady was the only one who had excessive communication. Lady created the Heartbreak Brooches. There...there is a lot that I must admit, does add up."

Otome just stared, eyebrows lowering.

"Of course that doesn't mean I'm not upset by this!" Riche said suddenly, opening his eyes and snapping his gaze to Otome. "Lady was...She was my wife, she was precious to me, I... It pains me, knowing this now, knowing she didn't..."

Beside him, Tamora coughed into her fist. Riche paused and adjusted his hold on her, his expression softening. "...but the family comes first. She killed Shylock, and she hurt Tamora badly as well. I cannot look past that, I cannot forgive her for harming someone who was like a daughter to us.

I...I also apologize for what happened when you escaped to Earth," he added, looking back at Otome. "Truly I cannot even being to say how sorry I am..."

"Oh...it's alright, Riche," Otome said, looking down at her lap. "It's...alright." She looked up again, watching Hiromi and Aki dance. Aki was pulling Hiromi closer and bumping their foreheads together, both of them laughing and blushing pink. Otome's eyes burned a little. "...every day gets a little bit easier."

Tamora put her hand on Otome's shoulder as Riche watched her in sympathy.

* * *

><p>The rest of the night went on without a hitch. Dancing, eating, Hiromi even managed to say hello to a few Kokoro citizens (with Aki standing next to her for moral support, of course). At one point Tamora thought she might be well enough to dance, and Riche helped her to the center of the floor so she could dance on his feet.<p>

Sometime after midnight, however, Queen Meringue clapped her hands for attention.

"Everyone from Earth, please come to the floor. Kokoro, to the side please."

As the people shuffled to where they were directed, a confused murmur rippling through them. Ti glanced around before rushing into the crowd and finding Hiromi, climbing up to her waist. Coffee, noticing he was gone, ran after him.

Meringue waited until everyone had stopped moving, and then knelt down. Punch handed her something, and she straightened back up, her hands together. "Everyone, I want to thank you for joining us tonight. You all had a very...very troubling experience, and you all made it through. You all survived the utmost despair, and you should all feel proud of this."

The Earth citizens began whispering. Utmost despair? Survived? What a detailed but confusing dream this was...

"But there are others waiting for you at home, who are still despairing over your absence. As much as we would love for you to stay, we cannot let those people keep despairing as well." Meringue looked to Pretty Cure then, her smile tightening as her eyes shone with tears. "Pretty Cure, Legendary Warriors, I would love to give you a long goodbye. I would love to ask you so many questions, to thank you over and over...But that would lead to sadness as well and I don't think...I don't think any of us can handle that tonight.

"Pretty Cure, you shall see us again, I swear it. We can have a much longer talk then."

"Your Majesty," Otome interrupted, having realized what was to happen before anyone else did. "I wish to go with my friends, for just a while longer." She smiled, blinking back tears of her own. "I have new friends and family that I have to be with for a bit longer, I cannot just leave them behind so abruptly."

"I understand," said Meringue. "You may go with them. Pretty Cure, you shall remember us. The rest of you," she added, turning her face back to the crowd at large. Her hands parted, palms-up, to reveal a golden, glowing sand piled up. "I hope this was a pleasant dream...now it's time to wake."

The queen's eyes closed and she leaned forward, gently blowing on the sand. It flew outwards, settling over everyone in golden sparkles. As they stared up at the falling particles in awe, they all began to glow softly.

Hiromi looked to the monarchs of Kokoro one last time. "King! Queen!"

They waved gently at them as the room slowly faded into white light, and they themselves faded from view. _"Thank you..."_

And then they were gone.

* * *

><p>The morning was heavily overcast as Chikae Hisa prepared her coffee. The morning weather report was on TV in the background, but she paid it no mind. She hadn't for a few months now; weather was always the same to her.<p>

She rubbed at her eyes with the heel of one hand while the other shakily poured coffee into a pale pink mug with the word "Mommy" clumsily written on it in red. The phrase "Noa, 5" was along the bottom. Chikae made her way to the table then, gently blowing on her drink.

A small noise made her freeze. Another small noise made her turn to the entryway of the kitchen.

Noa stood there, still in her school uniform, tiredly rubbing one eye. Despite the sleepy air about her, she also seemed confused, curious...and relieved. For a while, neither of them spoke, just staring, Chikae's hands starting to shake again.

"...Mama?"

That broke the spell. Chikae let out a choked cry and ran forward, her mug spilling coffee onto the table. She didn't notice, however, instead embracing Noa tightly and slowly sinking to her knees. "Noa..._Noa!"_ she sobbed. "W-welcome home, Noa..."

Noa's own eyes watered as she hugged her mother back, just as fiercely. "...'m home," she whispered into her mother's shoulder.

Outside, the rain began to fall.

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Otome: "And so, everyone lived happily ever after..."

Hiromi: "Ehhh, I wish this rain wasn't here though. It's not stopping, either..."

Aki: "Rain...W-Wait a second, this is-!"

Miho: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'It Can't Be True! Flood of Despair!' Let love heal your heart!"


	29. Chapter 29

As the morning went on to a more reasonable hour, the dark clouds still didn't part. But hardly anyone really minded. Sometimes it was nice to have a rainy morning; there was something calming about it, in a way. Soothing, comfortable. Sometimes it was just _nice_, having a warm light in the house while you got ready for the day, standing with the family in the entryway while you got your shoes and coats.

And the Satou family was doing just that, Emi handing out umbrellas to her sisters and father.

"It's pouring out there," she said, smiling as she passed Daisuke his plain black umbrella. "So make sure to hold it directly above your head." Emi demonstrated by holding her fist at chest-level, as if holding an umbrella straight up. "You too, Hiromi – if your teacher wants to have gym outdoors-"

"Emiii, the teachers won't do that," Hiromi said with a laugh. "We'll probably have a game of volleyball in the gym building."

"Or it lets up," Kiyomi muttered, slipping on her jacket.

"I dunno about that..." Emi frowned and bit on her thumbnail. "It's been like this since six o'clock. The clouds haven't even begun to break yet..."

Harumi laughed and patted her look-alike on the shoulder. "Hey, it's bad weather. All bad weather clears up eventually." She glanced at her watch. "Well, we better get going. Emi, try not to worry so much, 'kay?"

Emi sighed as everyone stepped outside, umbrellas popping up. "If everyone says so."

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>Nana stood in the backyard, umbrella over her head as she tried to coax Pochi outside. "C'mon, don't you have to go?"<p>

Pochi growled, backing away from the open doorway.

Nana sighed and made her way back inside. "Well, alright. We'll try again later." She made her way inside, closing up the umbrella as she did so. Pochi walked backwards into the house, staring at her with wide eyes, but Nana just smiled. "It's okay, boy, I'm not mad, I'm just-"

A drop fell from the rafter and struck her shoulder.

"...I'm just a little disappointed."

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: It Can't Be True! Flood of Despair!<p>

* * *

><p>In the locker rooms, everyone was putting away umbrellas, rain coats, and stepping out of rain boots. One might have thought it a bit excessive, seeing it was just rain, but it <em>had<em> been very nice out for the past few weeks, and it _was_ raining heavily. One could never be too careful.

"Ugh," griped Antoinette, stomping her boots before she slipped them off. "The weather report said nothing about this. It's a good thing I didn't have any big plans for today."

"I kinda like it," said Yuki. "It makes me think of autumn nights, somehow. You know? Mirai, how about you?" No answer. "Er, Mirai?"

Mirai stood at her shoe locker with the door open, staring inside with wide eyes and pale skin. She was muttering something under her breath, hugging herself tightly.

Yuki and Antoinette exchanged glances, then Antoinette put a hand on the pink-haired girl's shoulder. "Mirai?"

Mirai jumped, looking around wildly before her gaze fell on her friends. "Ah- y-yes?"

"Mirai, did you feel something?" asked Yuki in a serious voice.

"Y-yes, but...I – I'm not sure if it's...I-It can't be right..." she muttered at the floor.

"What can't be right?" asked Antoinette.

Mirai didn't answer, instead hugging herself tighter.

"...Mirai?"

* * *

><p>Class began quieter than normal; the rainy weather seemed to have calmed everyone down. Hiromi yawned as she set her schoolbag down and reached for her pencil case.<p>

"Here you go, datchu!" Ti said with a smile, holding it in both paws.

"T-Ti-!" Hiromi yelped before covering her mouth. She looked around, but mercifully it seemed no one was paying attention to her. "Ti, what are you doing here all by yourself?" she whispered loudly.

"But I'm not, datchu. Coffee's with me," he said, blinking.

"Hello!" Coffee said, poking her head out. As Hiromi sputtered to find words, Coffee just smiled and continued. "It seems that Ti wasn't ready to say goodbye to you yet, so he came here with you. And I certainly can't leave him unattended!"

"But what about your parents?" Hiromi whispered.

"I'll go home tonight, datchu!" Ti promised. "I just..." He bowed his head, eyes shining a little. "...If that was the last we'd see each other, I'd miss you too much, datchu. We've been through a lot together, all six of us...We can't just have a dance and that's all! I wanted to spend time with you more before I go, datchu!" he added desperately.

Coffee patted his head, smiling softly. "Me too, really. Can we do something after school, Hiromi?"

"Like...what?" Hiromi blinked.

"Dinner!" Ti yelled again. "And playing with Bitsy! And – and other stuff, datchu!"

Hiromi blinked again, then laughed quietly. "Alright, alright, we'll see what the others say, okay?" she whispered.

"Satou, stop talking to your homework, it's time for class!" Mrs Matoko said suddenly, strolling into the classroom and yawning.

It continued to rain all during class, pelting the windows and making numerous water trails down the glass. At one point Mrs Matoko had to close the blinds because people wouldn't stop watching out the window. "Honestly," she muttered. "You'd think none of you had seen rain before." With that, she marched back to the front of the room and lifted her book again. "Alright, where were we? Ah, yes – Ophiuchus gets its name from the Greek word meaning 'serpent-bearer.' Can anyone tell me the full story of-"

She stopped as the lights suddenly dimmed, then flickered, and then with a pop, went out altogether. A few students screamed in shock as the room was suddenly plunged into darkness.

"Alright, everyone, calm down!" Mrs Matoko said, closing the book again. "Ugh, so much for mythology...Nanase, would you run to the custodian and tell him our lights are out?"

"Yes, ma'am."As Nanase pushed out of her seat and left the room, Hiromi and Aki exchanged glances. This...this didn't feel normal.

Hiromi pulled her schoolbag out and looked into it to see Ti and Coffee. She'd found them earlier but had figured since the mirror was repaired, they could just go back home later. "Guys, are you sure everything is safe in Kokoro?" she whispered.

"It should be, datchu," said Ti nervously.

"It's fine, I'm sure this is just a little rain-" Coffee began to say, before the classroom door slammed back open and Nanase ran back into the room, out of breath and looking visibly shaken.

"M-Mrs Matoko!" she cried.

"Nanase?!" Mrs Matoko crossed the room and held the girl's shoulders; her student looked ready to pass out. "Nanase, what is it?"

"O-Outside," Nanase managed to gasp out. "Look o-outside!"

Mrs Matoko went for the windows, but everyone else was faster. With a flurry of noise, the students pulled up the blinds, looked out the window...and a collective gasp rippled through the room.

The school stood atop a huge hill overlooking the town. And even from where they stood, the students could see the town was already flooding. Dark, churning water that even at a distance appeared to have shapes swimming around in it lapped at porches, stoops, front steps. It was already started to cover the bottom step leading from town to the school itself. And it wasn't just town; the campus was flooding too, discarded basketballs floating around before bumping into the building, heavy torrents of water falling from the roof and past the windows like tiny waterfalls. And it had only been two hours since class started.

As everyone had run to the windows, two of Nanase's friends had gently moved her away from the teacher and to a desk so she could collect herself. Now one of them, a girl with pale blonde ringlets, was checking something on her phone. What she saw made her eyes widen. "Mrs Matoko!"

"Yes, Eguchi, what is it?" Mrs Matoko looked away from the window and took her student's phone when she held it up.

The news app was opened, and a video clip was playing. "Repeat, this is breaking news. Reports are coming in from all over Japan that they too are experiencing the same weather. All over the country, heavy rains are causing rapid flooding, with no sign of a break. Residents are advised to seek higher ground – I'm sorry, what?" the woman onscreen looked to the side. Her eyes grew wider and she faced the camera again. "I have just been informed that still more reports are coming in – meteorologists _worldwide_ are reporting the same weather despite prior weather conditions and forecasts. It is unknown exactly how big this storm is, but it's clear that this is the _biggest_ storm in known history.

"Again, residents are advised to seek higher ground and a this is now an official state of emergency-"

"Satou, Oshiro, where are you going?!"

Mrs Matoko snapped her gaze away from the phone when one of the other students cried out. The door to the classroom was wide open, and she could faintly hear rapid footfalls fading away. "Oshiro, Satou!" she cried, running for the door. "Everyone, stay here! You two, stop right there!" She ran out of the room and down the hallway towards where they'd gone; they were fast, she could only faintly hear the sound of their feet hitting the floor. Who knew how far ahead they were. Still, she ran down the hall, her shouts alerting other teachers as their doors slid open. "Oshiro, Satou! Come back – you two have to come back!" She rounded a corner – then double back, forced open a window and leaned out it.

Outside she could see two shapes racing across campus and heading for the stairs downhill. They didn't quite look like her students – they both had much longer, brighter hair – but she just _knew_ it was them, she knew it!

"Oshiro! Satou!" she screamed, hoping vainly to be heard above the pouring rain, thunder and shrieking wind. "Please come back, it's dangerous! Come back!..._**Hiromi! Aki!"**_

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>Inside the classroom, Mirai was hugging herself as she curled into a fetal ball, staring ahead blankly. Antoinette and Yuki knelt on either side of her, rubbing her shoulders and whispering soothing words. Despite their attempts to calm her, they couldn't help remember what she'd said in the locker room. What she'd said she'd sensed.<p>

_"Impending doom."_

The other students seemed to find themselves in one of three groups: those talking to Nanase and Eguchi, those trying to comfort Mirai, and those worriedly looking out the window and asking each other what was going on, where was the teacher, were they going to be okay?

A scuffle caught their attention, and the whole class looked back to the door to see Mrs Matoko being led back inside by two more teachers. Not that she was going willingly, however; she was struggling all the while, shouting at them both. "You don't understand!" she cried, managing to hit one teacher's nose with an elbow. "Two of my students are out there – they're outside in this storm, I have to-!"

"Mrs Matoko!" the other teacher cut her off sharply. "We understand what you're feeling, but you have twenty-four other students in this classroom, all of whom need you right now! Do you understand?"

Mrs Matoko seemed to freeze for a second, blinking. The fight seemed to go out of her as her body went limp in her colleague's grip. "Right," she mumbled. After a moment she straightened up again, inhaling sharply and squaring her shoulders. She turned around to face her other students, a no-nonsense expression on her face. "Alright!" she said suddenly, ignoring the teacher leaving to take care of the blood on his face. "Nanase, Eguchi, the rest of you, don't panic. We're up fairly high, so we should be fine for a while. Those of you with phones, contact your parents and tell them you're okay. If you have to go to the bathroom, bring a buddy. We've got plenty of food in the cafeteria downstairs, your emergency kits are all in the bin in the closet, I know for a fact some of you bring snacks on a regular basis – we'll be fine. Eguchi!"

"Yes!"

"Does your phone have a radio app? Okay, good, turn it on and put it on the weather and news channel. The rest of you...Uhm..." Mrs Matoko blinked. "After you contact your parents, just keep calm and quiet, alright? This should be over soon."

"What if it's not?" Mirai whispered, too quiet for anyone but Yuki and Antoinette to hear. She still hugged herself, pale and shivering and staring ahead of nothingness. "What if it's not, what if it's not, what if it's not..."

"Mirai." Antoinette placed her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "It's okay...breathe..."

Inside Hiromi's forgotten bag, the two fairies held each other nervously, Coffee staring up out the window in anxiety.

* * *

><p>Capulet and Montague ran down the stairs as fast as they could, the pain pounding against them like needles of ice. Montague grit her teeth, eyes briefly squeezing shut. "U-Urgh, I feel-"<p>

Her heart seemed to constrict in her chest, her eyes stung.

"Capulet!" she yelled. "This is-" She suddenly screamed as they reached the floodwaters, her foot briefly submerging before she pulled it back out. In the second she had her foot in the water, she felt...cold. Dark. Empty inside but for one emotion: despair. "This is the Despair Water!" she yelled, shaking the feeling off.

"Capulet! Montague!" two familiar voices cried.

The two girls looked up to see Cures Portia and Ariel standing on the rooftops of nearby houses, waving them over. Capulet and Montague exchanged a look before grabbing hands and jumping up to meet them. They briefly slipped on the slick shingles, but Portia grabbed their arms at the last second, eyes wide as she looked them over. "Are you guys okay?!" she yelled over the rain.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're fine!" Capulet answered in a gasping voice. "What about you?"

"Where are Nana and Pochi?" Montague asked.

"They're fine. I think. I told her to go upstairs with Pochi," Portia said. "If the water gets higher, I'm sure rescue services will show up in time!" But there was an undertone of fear in her voice.

"Portia, Ariel!" Capulet suddenly said. "This is water from-"

"The River Despair, yes."

But that wasn't Ariel.

The girls looked up in horror and disbelief.

There, hovering above the city, hair billowing in the fierce wind, was Lady. She smiled down at them first, then a low chuckle escaped her mouth. It slowly built into a laugh; quiet but still chilling. "I'm terribly sorry," she began in a smooth voice. "But did you _really think you'd **won?!"**_

* * *

><p>At the Oshiro mansion, Sebastian and Emma stood at one of the large windows, staring out into the rain. The flowers in the garden were already surely drowned, water was seeping under the front door... And the radio was reporting more and more accounts of major flooding in other countries. This...well, there were no other words. This looked bad.<p>

Emma squeezed Sebastian's hand. "Do you suppose Miss Oshiro is alright at school?" she asked.

"The school is on a tall hill. I'm sure she'll be fine."

* * *

><p>"Emi, you have to <em>swear<em> to me you'll be okay!" Kiyomi yelled into the phone. She and her sisters stood around it, set on speaker mode. The rest of the university class was in a similar state, everyone calling home and loved ones. "Has Dad called back? Are you up high enough?!"

Hatsumi rubbed Kiyomi's back as Emi's voice was heard. "I called him earlier – he's fine, his office is pretty high up. And I'm in Hiromi's room right now – I think I'll be okay. What about you guys?"

"We're fine," Harumi said. "Listen, just please keep up posted. We don't want anyone's battery to die, so we're hanging up – but please keep-"

"I will! I promise – I've got the radio on too." It was true; they could all faintly hear the weather reporter in the background. "Have you called Hiromi's school?"

"No, we're about to after we talk to you," Hatsumi answered.

* * *

><p>And finally, at the Sakura residence, Nana sat in the window with Pochi at her side. The dog seemed to sense something she couldn't, growling and snapping out the window with his fur standing on end. No matter how she scratched between his ears, he wasn't calming down.<p>

With a sigh, Nana looked down at the floor. What had her cousin even meant by...?

_"Nana, listen, I need to go out for a while!"_

_"Miho, in this-"_

_"Nana, please, just – I can't explain it, just believe me!"_

"Oh, Miho..." Nana whispered, blinking back tears. "What have you gotten into?"

Pochi stopped growling just long enough to whine and nudge Nana's leg.

Nana looked back at him, nodding. "I know, boy...I'm worried for her too..." Another look out the window. "It's funny but...when she ran off, I had the weirdest feeling I wasn't going to see her again. ...Be safe, Miho. Be safe, _everyone_."

* * *

><p>"Lady!" Ariel yelled. "Lady, what-"<p>

"It's quite amazing, isn't it?" Lady crowed, taking a few – steps? - downward on the air itself until she was only just above Pretty Cure's head-level. "You never knew I had a back-up, did you? Underestimated a lovely woman like myself?~ I had plans to flood the Earth as well; I wasn't going to let your destruction of my wonderful river prevent that!"

"You had-!" Capulet began, suddenly feeling weak in the knees.

"From the beginning." Lady's lips stretched wider into a cruel smile. "And you, Pretty Cure..."

The wind picked up fiercer than ever, sending huge waves throughout the flood. Wind screamed as it tore trees out of their roots and sent them crashing to the ground with mighty splashes; thunder roared like monsters in the pitch-black clouds.

Lady laughed louder, hovering above the destruction like a twisted deity. _"You played right into my hands with that stunt of yours! Because of your actions, your world will drown in despair! **Thank you for everything, legendary warriors, Pretty Cure!"**_

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "We've got to get rid of the water before everyone drowns in despair!"

Aki: "But how are we going to do that?! There's no river to drain, nowhere to go!

Miho: "We have to try! For everyone's sake!"

Otome: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'Desperate Final Battle! Hearts of Love Can't Be Weak!' Let love heal your heart!"


	30. Chapter 30

OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: <strong>Desperate Final Battle! Hearts of Love Can't Be Weak!<strong>

* * *

><p><em>"You played right into my hands with that stunt of yours! Because of your actions, your world will drown in despair! <strong>Thank you for everything, legendary warriors, Pretty Cure!"<strong>_

"That's a lie...that's a dirty lie!" Portia screamed.

_"It isn't~! Think of it, my dears – you were the ones who destroyed my glorious machines. You destroyed the lab – you drained the river – but did you think of where all that despair would **go?"**_ Lady grinned. _"All that despair, rushing out at once...where else would it go but Earth?_"

"What are you even _talking_ about?!" said Portia.

"Ah, right, I suppose none of you know..." Lady said, sighing in mock-distress. "Very well, I shall explain.

"Haven't you wondered why it was so easy to pass from your world to Kokoro, and vice-versa? Why the young prince was sent _here_ of all places, rather than some other world?" She smiled, leaning forward with her elbows bent and chin tented between her hands, like she was leaning on a table. _"Your world and theirs are connected. And **my** world? Just another, tiny piece of it that no one wanted to look after until I came along. So in a way..."_ Her smile looked pleasant and sweet, unfitting for the situation or her words. "In a way, your world and _mine_ are connected as well~! So, once Kokoro was to be entirely flooded, all that despair would inevitably find its way to your world as well! Do you understand?"

Capulet blinked, slowly comprehending what Lady was about to point out. "So if we're connected...And we destroyed the falls-"

_"That's right~ All that despair rushing out at once, all of that despair suddenly leaving Kokoro – where else would it go but here?~"_ Her smile widened even further, stretching thinly. "You didn't think all that water would just evaporate, did you? After Kokoro was to be flooded, the force of all the water would push its way to Earth...And you all, forcing it to gush out all at once? _You just sped up the process."_

The girls stared straight ahead without really seeing. The thunder, wind, and the sound of waves crashing against any structures and obstacles in their way seemed to fade to a dull roar in their ears. That...That just couldn't be...

Lady's earlier words suddenly came back to them: _"You don't know what you're doing."_ How she didn't sound panicked at all about the fact. How there was no fear, no anger, no anxiousness. Just a simple statement.

They didn't know what they were doing.

"We...cause this...?" Montague finally spoke, her voice flat and listless as she stared blankly at Lady.

"And I truly thank you, from the bottom of my heart," Lady said with a curtsy. "And I _do_ wish I could stay, but I'm afraid I have a show to watch." She straightened again, a dark shadow over her eyes. "I couldn't see one world drown in sorrow, but I can at least see _this one."_

The waves began churning harder, frothing and crashing around them. Lady held up one hand to the sky, and one of the waves seemed to obey her, surging upwards over the building Pretty Cure stood on. _"Let me offer you a front-row seat, as my thanks."_

Pretty Cure, still numb with horror at their sudden realization, could do nothing but stand there as the wave crashed down on them.

When the water finally pulled away from the building, they were no longer there.

* * *

><p>Coffee and Ti suddenly tensed up, gasping faintly as their hearts skipped a beat or two. Coffee hugged the prince tightly and looked out the window again, fear gnawing at her heart. <em>Pretty Cure...<em>

Lightning flashed, quickly followed by a roar of thunder that shook the entire school.

That was it.

Coffee grit her teeth, and the next second she was racing across the floor, Ti in her arms. Nobody noticed her leave, too busy focusing on the weather outside and on Eguchi's phone. _"Citizens in the lower parts of **Koigokoromachi** are being quickly evacuated and moved to higher ground, where multiple businesses are. We've received word that the office buildings and hospitals should be able to serve as emergency shelters until rescue teams can move everyone to another, secure location, however there is no word on **where** such a location may be just yet."_

"How can a storm be this big?" Eguchi whimpered.

Nanase hugged her tightly, briefly glancing over at the still-shivering Mirai.

* * *

><p>"Coffee! Coffee, where are we going, datchu?" Ti cried, jostled in Coffee's tiny arms.<p>

_"We_ aren't going anywhere," she said flatly.

Ti blinked. "What-"

Coffee skidded to a halt...in front of the mirror on the stairs. "I'm sorry, Your Highness! But you have to _go!"_ she cried, pulling her arms back.

Ti suddenly realized what she was about to do. "Coffee, datchu! Coffee, wait – you'll be alone here, datchu, you'll-!"

"Tell your parents what's happened and tell Punch I'm very sorry! I loved looking after you, and I love _you_ very much, Ti!" Coffee spoke quickly...and then flung Ti at the mirror.

_"Coffeeee!"_ Ti's shrieking voice slowly faded as the mirror spirited him off.

Coffee felt her heart grow heavier than it already was, but there was just no _time._ Ti would be safer in Kokoro, they would have received word if Kokoro were in any danger and they hadn't. He would be fine, if anything happened to her, at least he'd be safe...

She sped down the stairs, her body slowly glowing bright gold...

...and then as her body slowly morphed and grew, shifting and elongating, she threw open a window and leaped out. The light faded away to reveal a young woman with short, lilac hair and red eyes, wearing a simple white tunic over pale purple leggings and white boots. With a grunt, she landed on a nearby tree branch, took one second to shake some more feeling into her human limbs, and leaped again, heading into the town.

_"Pretty Cure!"_ Coffee screamed above the noise. "Pretty Cure - _please answer me!_" She'd only been outside searching for about two minutes, but it felt like much longer and every extra second was like torture. Her face was soaked, her hair plastered to her skin and she wasn't sure how much of the water was rain and how much was her own tears. She took another running start and leaped to another rooftop, briefly thanking her lucky stars that Kokoro citizens were more...gifted, than the average human. Her shoes slipped for a moment but she quickly regained footing and kept running. _"Pretty Cure!"_ she screamed again.

No. No no no, they had to still be around. They were – they were Pretty Cure, legendary warriors! They couldn't be gone so quickly- She'd just been talking to Hiromi this morning, they'd gotten Cure Ariel back months ago!

She remembered Aki's breakfasts and unusual amount of cheer in the mornings, how she'd slip some of her amazing-tasting food to her and Ti.

She remembered Hiromi's carefulness with them, her kind eyes and gentle smile, how she slept with the fairies on her pillow next to her head.

She remembered Miho's laughter, how everything made her smile and how determined she was, how she would sketch her friends as models.

She remembered _Otome_. Just...Otome. Her bravery, her kindness, her smiles. She remembered how she and all the rest of Kokoro had believed her to be fierce and untouchable, but then how she'd wept in the middle of the night after Shylock's death, when she thought none of them could hear. And how she'd realized Otome was just a girl, a child like the others, and she wasn't immune to despair.

None of them were.

Oh, _God_, she hoped they were alright.

_"Pretty Cure!"_ she screamed skyward, tilting her head back and cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Must you shout like that? Shouting is terribly undignified, you know."

Coffee gasped and whirled around to see Lady standing behind her, a purple parasol above her head. Lady smiled serenely, a stark contrast to their surroundings.

"If you're so desperate to find Pretty Cure, you may check the Despair Water," she continued, heedless of the stunned stare Coffee was giving her. "But you'd have to check below the surface...I doubt even a legendary Pretty Cure can resist such concentrated despair at once. After all..." Her smile widened slightly. "They certainly couldn't in their normal forms, back at Montague's home."

"You...what did you do to them?!" Coffee cried, taking an involuntary step forward.

Lady just flickered her gaze to the rising water around them.

Coffee blinked, cold realization dawning on her. "No...no, they can't be down there! They're stronger than-"

Lady smiled and tilted her head. "Really, it was almost disappointingly easy. As it turns out, _anyone_ can succumb to despair...especially when they learn that this is all their own fault. I'm surprised you would still stand by them, after what happened."

"It wasn't their fault! None of this is!" Coffee shouted back. Now she was sure that most of the water on her face were her own tears. _"Pretty Cure!"_ she shouted again, eyes squeezing shut, hands curled into fists. _"Pretty Cure, if you can hear me, please, please get up! Get out, get up, fight back! Fight!...**Pretty Cuuuuure!"**_

* * *

><p>Among a thick, heavy <em>nothing<em> in their ears, they heard.

Pretty Cure floated beneath the blackness of the water, eyes closed in what would have been peaceful expressions were it not for the steady droplets of tears that leaked out and floated among the water. They were crying; their tears were the sole pure, clean drops of water among the dark and cold.

And everything...didn't quite hurt, but it wasn't pleasant or painless either. It was something like...like being numb and having needles poking at oneself, from all over. One knows there is pain, but they can't quite feel it, because there's nothing to feel _with_.

The only thing they felt was in their hearts: despair. Regret. Anguish. Horror. Heartbreak.

They had caused this. They had done this to Earth. Lady had told them. They were the ones who would drown the world in despair.

This knowledge seemed to push at them from all sides, until it seemed to physically force them further down into the water.

It was their fault.

They doomed everyone.

Everyone would suffer, everyone would despair.

Love...

...would not exist anymore.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>A cutesy pop song began playing inside Hiromi's bag. Everyone jumped at the sudden, new sound, but Antoinette recovered first. Glancing meaningfully at Yuki, she scrambled towards Hiromi's bag and pulled out her friend's cell phone. "Hello?"<p>

_"Hello? Who's this?"_ a male voice asked.

Antoinette's eyes widened. "Are you Hiromi's dad?"

_"Yes, yes I am – where is Hiromi?! Why isn't she the one answering her phone?!"_

Antoinette looked around the classroom, as if hoping she'd see Hiromi just...miraculously reappear again. Of course, she didn't. The blonde drew in a deep breath through the nose, and forced a calm tone. "She's helping someone out right now – we're fine, Hiromi's fine...She's fine," she repeated, her voice stronger on the last two words.

Across town and on higher ground, Daisuke stood near a window, his own cell phone to his ear. His hand touched the glass as he stared out, vaguely hearing his coworkers speaking to their loved ones as well. "...you're her friend, aren't you, miss?" he said at last, in a choked voice. "You would know if Hiromi was hurt."

Antoinette nodded. "Yeah...I'd know..." One of her hands came up to rest on her shirt, bunching up the fabric over her heart. She briefly glanced at Yuki and Mirai, the latter of whom was slowly relaxing and raising her head, blinking in surprise.

"_I love Hiromi. We all do."_

* * *

><p>Something resonated in Capulet's heart, pushing away the despair.<p>

* * *

><p>At the Oshiro mansion, Sebastian and Emma led the rest of the serving staff upstairs. "Head to the attic; we'll be alright there until help arrives for us!" Sebastian said.<p>

"Sebastian, I haven't heard back from Aki!" Emma whispered to him, hands held over her heart. "I've been calling and calling but-"

"I'm sure she's alright."

"But-!" Emma stopped herself when she saw the slight shine in Sebastian's eyes.

He waited until the last of the staff reached the attic, then turned and smiled hollowly at Emma. "I'm sure she's alright...Aki is much stronger than we used to think she was. I can feel it – I have for a while now."

"You really think...?" Emma said, looking away.

"Just believe in her, Emma..._We love her, so we'll believe in her."_

* * *

><p>Montague felt her heart soar, despair fading away.<p>

* * *

><p>Pochi barked loudly at the water as a helicopter took him and Nana towards the hillier part of town.<p>

Nana put a hand on the scruff of his neck to calm him, and kept speaking to the rescue worker. "Have you seen my cousin?! Her name is Sakura Miho, she has bright red hair and she wears it in two hair buns-"

The worker shook his head. "We haven't seen someone like that, miss. I'm sorry."

"I-I see..."

"But don't worry. This is a large town, and people are helping one another. We'll find her – I'm sure your cousin's fine." He looked at her again, gently. "You and your dog are worried," he said; a statement of fact.

Nana nodded. "Y-Yeah..._We both love her so much."_

* * *

><p>Portia felt something rise in her heart, heard her own heartbeat in her ears.<p>

* * *

><p>Ariel floated in cool, stinging darkness. Despite being underwater – Despair Water – she didn't feel like she was drowning. She didn't feel like she was in <em>water.<em> This stuff felt like water, moved like water, had the weight of water...but it also felt like darkness itself. Like liquid darkness.

She knew she should move, should swim up, fight back but...But was the point in doing anything? This was her fault. She only brought suffering to everyone. She should never have accepted the Cure Signet to begin with, she should never have met the others, she should have just died or-

Warm hands touched her face.

_"That's not true."_

Ariel's heart skipped a beat.

_"You and the others have to fight. You can fix this – you're legendary warriors, you can do anything. Pretty Cure are invincible..._

_"You all have so many people who love you and believe in you...Can't you feel our love?"_

* * *

><p>Someone's fingers slowly twitched. "P...Pre..."<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Pretty Cure, <strong>wake uuuup!"<strong>_ Coffee screamed again, fists held at chest-level, tears and mucus coursing down her face.

And then she cried out as Lady's parasol smacked her in the face.

Coffee slid away, skidding down the roof a bit before staying where she was, sobbing brokenly.

Lady approached her coldly, palm open and aimed at her. Red energy began to gather in the center of her hand as she spoke. "I admit, you and the young prince were amusing at first, as was your display earlier. But now I'm tired of this."

The energy shot out-

**"Pretty Cure! Love's Song!"**

A dazzling white light flashed, momentarily blinding Lady. She gasped quietly and shielded her eyes.

As the light slowly faded, four familiar figures stood in front of a stunned but happy Coffee.

**"Abundant innocent love, Lovely Cure Capulet!"  
>"Abundant sincere love, Lovely Cure Montague!"<br>"Abundant steadfast love, Lovely Cure Portia!"  
>"Abundant steadfast love, Lovely Cure Ariel!"<strong>

"You're not despairing..." Lady murmured, blinking in both surprise and attempt to clear her vision. "But how-"

"It's like someone very dear to me once said," said Lovely Ariel. _"Pretty Cure are invincible!"_

With that said, the four girls charged forward as one, crying out.

Lovely Capulet skidded to a halt in front of Lady, swinging her fist at the same time. The woman blocked with her parasol, but this left her wide-open for Portia's attack. Lovely Portia jumped in from seemingly nowhere to deliver a powerful straight-kick that send Lady skidding down the side of the roof.

After that, Lovely Ariel ran downwards, crying out in rage as she summoned her bow and arrows. _"This one's for Shylock!"_ she roared, firing off several glowing arrows at once.

Lady swiftly tried to defend herself, raising an arm and bringing up a shield of darkness. Most of the arrows burst apart into light upon contact, but they weakened it enough to let three arrows through. Lady cried out again as the light arrows exploded against her, forcing her further back.

Lovely Montague finished the job, charging past Lovely Ariel and leaping into the air. _"Pretty Cure are invincible!"_ she echoed Ariel's words. _"And we'll always win against despair!"_ With those words, she drove another kick into Lady's side, making the woman cry out in alarm...

...and she fell into the water.

Lovely Montague landed on the roof with a look of mild horror. She hadn't meant for _that_ to-! "We have to get her!" she began, reaching out a hand-

* * *

><p>Inside the school, Mirai's pupils dilated suddenly and she snapped her head towards the windows. "Close the blinds and get <em>down!"<em> she shrieked.

* * *

><p>-and suddenly, the water seemed to explode and lift off the ground, spraying huge drops of darkness everywhere. Pretty Cure, in their powered-up Lovely Forms, were unaffected as the water evaporated before it could touch them. Coffee, however, covered her head, crying out when the drops hit her, bursting apart in huge splashes, and began <em>burning<em> her.

"Coffee! What's wrong?!" cried Lovely Capulet.

"Th-the water – s-something's changed-!" she screamed before reverting to her fairy form, barely conscious and openly weeping.

Lady hovered high above the scene, drenched from head to toe, parasol abandoned. _"Pretty Cure are invincible?"_ she intoned flatly.

The wind began blowing fiercer than ever,, nearly at tornado-levels; lighting flashed across the sky every few seconds while more of it danced across the water's surface. It was only when Lovely Portia saw that same lightning in Lady's cupped hands that she realized what the Shitsuren queen was going to do. _"No!"_ she shrieked, face paling. _"No, _**_stop!"_**

It was too late. Lady brought her hands to her mouth, tilted her head back, and drank the Despair Water.

Immediately, she curled inward, hissing sharply as lightning danced across her skin, gold and black crackling together. A black aura appeared around her, the same aura covering the water's surface as well.

The flood was gone from the ground, but now huge spheres of water flew furiously around the air, striking and bursting apart at anything in its way. The skies became even darker, the wind sounded like the low, loud roar of a furious beast. Capulet grabbed Coffee and held her in her arms; all four of the girls had to dig their heels into the roof and force all their weight down to keep from being blown off.

Lady straightened, opening her eyes as her hair and clothes moved in the violent storm, with only her face calm.

She grinned cruelly, staring them down with new eyes: the same irises as before, but with pitch-black sclerae and red pupil.

_**"Pretty Cure are invincible? Let's see you try this..."**_

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Hiromi: "My friends..."

Aki: "My family..."

Miho: "Everyone..."

Otome: "We love you. We love you _all."_

All: "Next time on Pretty Cure Entwined Hearts: 'All Our Hearts Are Entwined.' Let love heal your heart!"


	31. Chapter 31

"Coffee!" Ti shouted as he was carried away from Kokoro's mirror. "Coffee! Let me go! Coffee's in trouble!"

Ti had the luck (good or bad depended on one's perspectives) of landing between two guards when he'd tumbled out. Seeing their young prince, the guards had quickly taken him away from the mirror and towards the throne room, where his distressed parents waited.

"Ti!" Meringue cried, rushing forward and scooping him up. "Ti, where have you _been?!"_

**_"Mama, datchu! Mama, Papa - Coffee and Pretty Cure are in trouble, datchu!"_**

* * *

><p>OP: "Pretty Cure, Hands Meet" - SHE<p>

* * *

><p>TODAY'S EPISODE: <strong>All Our Hearts Are Entwined<strong>

* * *

><p>Lady straightened, opening her eyes as her hair and clothes moved in the violent storm, with only her face calm.<p>

She grinned cruelly, staring them down with new eyes: the same irises as before, but with pitch-black sclerae and red pupil.

_**"Pretty Cure are invincible? Let's see you try this..."**_

"Coffee!" Lovely Capulet instantly leaped out of the way, heading for the school. She had to fight alongside her friends, but she also had to protect Coffee. And...and no matter what happened to them, Coffee had to be safe. She didn't know what would happen, but having Coffee in her pockets or hiding in her back-bow wouldn't protect her.

Lady let out a guttural cry and flung her arm in Capulet's direction. A surge of pitch-black energy, moving like water, shot towards her retreating form.

"No, you don't!"

Suddenly, Lovely Montague leaped in the way, arms spread out. The dark energy hit her, convulsing around her like an electric shock. Lovely Montague screamed once, but then grit her teeth and bore it. "Y-You...W-Won't hurt her...!" she grunted.

_"You won't hurt anyone!"_ twin voices rang out. Lovely Portia and Lovely Ariel both leaped up at the same time, flanking Lady.

Lady dropped her arm and shifted her body, turning towards Lovely Portia just as-

**"Pretty Cure Bronze Steadfast Shoot!"**

-and Lady _smirked._ One half-second her form was a black and purple blur, and then she was gone. The light from Lovely Portia's attack missed entirely and hit Lovely Ariel. The teal Cure shrieked in pain – it hurt a lot less than it would if she were a monster, but it still hurt!

"Lovely Ariel!" gasped Lovely Portia, willing away the Box of Revelations. Then suddenly, Lady teleported behind her, a cruel smile on her face. As Lovely Portia turned around, there was a resounding _SMACK_ and the girl fell to the ground hard.

* * *

><p>In the darkened classroom, Eguchi was using her phone to broadcast a live news feed for the others. It was the only light in the room.<p>

_"This is Shimamura reporting from Channel Seven's news-copter! You will be reassured to know that I and my camera crew are well inside the safety of the helicopter and will not be opening any doors or windows! Our copter is strong enough to withstand these winds, and- what's that?!"_

The camera zoomed in on a falling figure, just as she crashed to the ground.

_"Oh my God! Oh my God, it seems there is a civilian outside and we may have a casualt – wait a minute."_

Before everyone's eyes, the figure got up, standing inside a small crater. She leaped back into the air, meeting a woman in black and purple midway. The two traded punches and kicks, but the woman seemed to get the upper hand again and kicked her back down.

_"I can't believe what I'm seeing!"_

Emi leaned in closer, having situated herself by Eguchi earlier. "That looks like..." she murmured, frowning lightly.

Mirai suddenly blinked and straightened. "Someone's here," she whispered.

"Ehhh?!"

A loud tapping sounded at the window just then. "Open it!" someone screamed outside. "Open it, please!"

"We're so high up though...no one should be at the window," someone whispered as Mrs Matoko steeled herself. She grabbed a nearby broom and made her way to the window, carefully opened the blinds-

-and came face-to-face with a blonde girl in a tiara and extravagant dress. A little rat was in her hands.

"What the-?" Mrs Matoko gasped.

"Hurry, please!" yelled the girl. As Mrs Matoko hastily opened the window, she leaned forward slightly and handed her the rat.

"Wh-"

"I'm very sorry, but please stay inside!" the blonde yelled before leaping away.

Mrs Matoko cried out, running towards the window, but before everyone's eyes, the girl just landed on a nearby tree, and then leaped so far and so high it was like she was flying. The teacher stared out the window, eyes wide. "Who was-?"

"Hiromi!" Mirai suddenly yelled, catching everyone's attention. Everyone turned to stare at her, but Mirai didn't seem to notice. She just stood straight up, face pale and hands trembling. "That was Hiromi just now!"

* * *

><p>"Portia!" Montague and Ariel screamed together, bringing out their weapons.<p>

Lovely Portia wasn't Lady's only target, of course – Lady had stopped beating her moments ago, it would be foolish of her to focus on one small insect. But she was still too close to Portia, and they had to make sure she wouldn't try anything else.

**"Pretty Cure Amethyst Sincere Shoot!"**

****"Pretty Cure Lovely Steadfast Arrow!" ****

Lady turned around just as the attacks were about to hit; a surge of black energy crackled around her, deflecting the attacks and sending them back at Pretty Cure. She smiled when they screamed; their attacks had flown back faster with her aid, infused with the dark, despair energy of the water that still floated in huge droplets everywhere. With another wave of her hand, another stream of energy erupted from the ground and slammed both of them into one such droplet.

They screamed, tears beginning to form in their eyes, but it was muffled. Lady didn't mind it; it was still screaming, just as she wanted to hear**. **"How does it feel, Pretty Cure?"**** she said coldly**. **"How does the depths of despair feel?"****

_"Leave them_**_ **alone!"**_** Lovely Capulet screamed, flying out of nowhere, Rapier Wand at the ready.** **"**Pretty Cure Golden Innocent Shoot!"**

This time, Lady was taken by surprise. The blast of golden light struck her, briefly enveloping her as she cried out-

Lovely Portia took the chance to jump high into the air, near the bubbles her friends were in. Her positioning and speed took her straight through both prisons, allowing her to seize her friends and pull them out safely. They turned to see how Lovely Capulet's attack had done-

-and saw Lady flex, and the light burst away from her like shattering glass.** **"Terribly sorry, but did you think that would work?"** she sai**d coldly. "I'm not the same as I was before, little girls." As Pretty Cure watched in disbelief, more dark energy appeared around Lady's body, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. As if in response to this, the droplets of Despair Water began churning.

_Boiling._

****"Despair runs in my veins now! Despair is all I am, despair and heartbreak! And childrens' light shows can't harm me anymore!"** **With a loud, mad laugh, Lady crouched slightly and swept her arms out.

The boiling droplets shot towards Pretty Cure all at once.

"Scatter!" Lovely Montague screamed, but no one needed it to be said.

The girls separated quickly, weapons drawn, light energy shooting from their hands. They flew around the area, alternating between trying to outrun the droplets and attacking them. Each attack burst the water apart, but even then they had to watch for the smaller drops in the resulting explosive spray, and even _then_ there were still more drops chasing them down.

"Why?!" Lovely Ariel screamed. "Why are you doing this?! Why did you do this to Tamora, why did you do _all_ of this?!"

Lady smiled sweetly, opened her mouth, and...

**_**"No reason~"**_**

Pretty Cure's blood ran cold.

"What...?" Lovely Capulet gasped.

****"I have no reason~"**** Lady went on, stilling her hands for a moment. She began to rise up, hovering above the city again, still looking like a storm herself.** **"Did I need one? I just love to see people miserable and crying. I love to see things brought to ruin...It's just so _fun_ to do it myself."****

"Kokoro was your _home!"_ yelled Lovely Ariel.

****"It used to be."**** Lady shrugged**. **"But I outgrew that place. As I grew older, I just plain didn't like being there anymore, didn't care for that little Princess Meringue and her family...So I left, honed my own powers, made my own tiny little kingdom... It wasn't _my_ fault Riche fell for my sweet lovely lady appearance. It wasn't _my_ fault two children ran away from home and had no one else in their world. I never asked for them to do anything; they all did it themselves." ****

Pretty Cure wanted to tell her that it _was_. That she'd created Break, that she'd been telling them to do this from day one. But it wouldn't work, they all knew that.

"You're...you're _evil!"_ Lovely Portia cried, torn between outrage and terror.

****"Thank you,"** **said Lady. Then she grinned with her teeth bared, and those close could see her teeth had become sharp and shark-like.** **"Now do me a favor and _die."_****

The water droplets stilled for one instant – and then they all shot forward at once, converging to the center. Pretty Cure weren't fast enough to get away, and found themselves trapped in one huge, giant bubble of pitch-black, boiling water. _All_ of the droplets were gathering in one spot, forming a bubble as big as a small lake. And it just kept getting bigger.

In the center of the water, Pretty Cure screamed in agony as despair and heartbreak seeped into every fiber of their being. Their Cure uniforms glowed and then burst apart into nothing, reducing them to their civilian selves and amplifying the pain tenfold.

Tears streamed down their cheeks as every painful, horrible thought they'd had earlier came back to them, and even more.

They had failed.

They were going to die.

It hurt.

It _hurt._

Ariel managed to open her eyes just a crack. In the distance, she could see Lady's hazy, shifting form. They'd lost. Lady would win.

* * *

><p>"Mirai, are you sure that was Hiromi?" Mrs Matoko asked, holding her shoulders tightly.<p>

"Yes! Hiromi's out there and she's in big trouble!" Mirai was crying. "I-It's not just her! Aki, Miho, Otome – they're all out there! They're hurt and they're _out there and in trouble!"_ She pulled out of Mrs Matoko's grip and ran to the window. "Hiromi! _Hiromiiii!"_

"Mirai, stay back!" Mrs Matoko tried to drag her back, but Mirai kept struggling, tears streaming down her face.

"Hiromi! Hiromi! Everyone!" she sobbed.

* * *

><p><em>"The girls are inside the water! I repeat, the girls are inside the water!"<em> The reporter's voice came from radios, televisions, the internet streams... All over town, people were watching the live feed.

Daisuke's eyes widened when the camera tried to focus on those small shapes. They were very _barely_ visible, tiny dark specks inside a sea of dark, but something still registered in his heart.

"Hiromi!" he gasped faintly. "Hiromi!" he yelled, louder, voice tight.

"Satou, what is it?!"

"My daughter! That's my daughter out there!" he cried.

* * *

><p>"Let me out!" Nana screamed, struggling against some rescue workers. "Let me out, my cousin's out there, I have to save her!"<p>

* * *

><p>Sebastian and Emma wanted to leave, but the rest of the staff needed them. They were the head staff members, they were the ones in charge. If either of them left or showed any sign of panic, the rest of them wold just fall apart. Someone had to keep a cool head.<p>

So neither of them screamed or tore out of the mansion, much as they wanted to. But they did stare out the window, eyes filled with worry, Sebastian's hands in such tight fists that his fingernails dug into the skin. "Aki..." they both whispered.

* * *

><p>Queen Meringue strode down the hall leading to the balcony with an air of purpose, Ti safely held in her hands. "They'll be alright, Ti. I swear this," she said.<p>

"M-Mama?"

The queen stopped at the balcony overlooking the kingdom. Everyone had gathered at the castle, feeling in their hearts that something was deeply wrong. Punch sat on Riche's shoulder as the man rested his hand on Tamora's shoulder. The fairy felt his heart clench – Coffee was in danger. Something was wrong on Earth.

"Listen to me, everyone!" Queen Meringue declared. "You can feel in your hearts that something is wrong in Pretty Cure's world."

"We have to go there!" Tamora cried.

"It's too dangerous, datchu!" Ti cried. "Th-there's Despair Water everywhere! Everything's getting ruined, datchu, there's lightning and wind and-"

"Lady..." Riche breathed, a look of regret and heartbreak on his own face. "She's doing this..."

"My son is right," Meringue said.

Cider spoke up next. "We cannot send aid physically, but Pretty Cure need our faith and prayers. Believe in them, everyone! Send your love to Pretty Cure!"

Tamora was the first to close her eyes, hands clenched over her heart. "Pretty Cure saved me...they wanted me to be their friends..." she whispered. "They have to be okay, I love them so much!" Suddenly her heart felt lighter... "Pretty Cure," she breathed, the tension leaving her face. "Pretty Cure, I love you. You can do it."

"I love you too," Riche said, eyes closing.

"Me too," said Punch. "I love Pretty Cure, I love Coffee..."

All throughout the kingdom, Kokoro citizens focused on the feelings in their hearts. Love, faith, hope, belief, courage... They loved Pretty Cure. They focused on Pretty Cure's image in their minds. They willed their feelings would reach them.

_"We love you..."_

Ti and his parents were closing their eyes as well, hands over their hearts. "We love you..." they whispered.

Unseen by them all, warm light appeared under their hands, over their hearts.

* * *

><p>On Earth, everyone felt their hearts become lighter. Some unknown force telling them what to do.<p>

Daisuke closed his eyes, leaning against the window. "Hiromi...I love you."

* * *

><p>"Aki..." The entire staff at the Oshiro residence held their hands over their hearts. "Aki, we love you."<p>

* * *

><p>The rescue workers, everyone in the shelter, Nana all held their hands in a similar manner. Even Pochi had his eyes closed.<p>

"We love you, Pretty Cure..."

"Miho..."

* * *

><p>The entire classroom did the same thing, focusing all their love for the girls. Even inside the copter, while neither the reporter or cameraman could free their hands, they focused on the girls and sending their love.<p>

News feeds all around the world showed the girls, and all around the planet, people were compelled to do the same thing the town of Koigokoromachi and the kingdom of Kokoro were doing.

* * *

><p>The girls' eyes slowly opened. "Everyone..."<p>

"I feel them..."

* * *

><p><em>"We love you!"<em>

* * *

><p>Lady gasped, blinking and lowering her hands slightly. There was a faint light in the middle of her sphere of water. What...what was that?!<p>

* * *

><p><em>"We love you!"<em>

* * *

><p>"We..."<p>

"Love..."

"You all..."

* * *

><p>Lady cried out in surprise as the water suddenly burst apart into hundreds of large water droplets. There was a bright, golden light that she had to shade her eyes against.<strong> "What-?!" <strong>she cried.

_"__-You too!"_ Pretty Cure shouted as one.

The light slowly faded to reveal the Cures...once again they were in Lovely Form, but their chokers were three rows of pearls now, tiny hearts between each row. Fluffy, angelic wings protruded from their backs, and all four of them glowed with an almost heavenly light. Slowly, each girl opened her eyes – revealing them to be warm, amber gold now.

_"Lady."_ Lovely Capulet's voice called out. She sounded calm, but powerful, her voice magically carrying over the entire city though she didn't raise it one decibel. _"Lady, you sought to bring an entire world to despair and destruction."_

_"You could have had love, but you yourself chose to disregard it. You saw love as something disgusting and laughable, and you used those who loved you for your own gain,"_ Lovely Montague added.

Lady snarled wordlessly and flung her arm out again. A ribbon of water surged towards them-

-and Lovely Portia held her hand out to block it. The water burst apart as soon as it touched her palm. _"When one world couldn't be devoid of love, you turned your sights on another. You laughed as you did this to both worlds."_

_"We wished to believe there was good in you, as there is in everyone,"_ finished Lovely Ariel. _"But we see now there is only hatred. So with that..."_

The girls hovered in a row, tracing large heart shapes in the air. _"Our hearts entwined! Steadfast Love! Innocent Love! Sincere Love! Pretty Cure...Lovely Entwined Form!"_

****"You still think you can beat me!?"**** Lady shrieked, bringing her hands together at the wrists. The water converged around them again.** **"I have all the powers of all the heartbreak from both worlds! Love stands no chance against despair!"****

_"That's not true!"_ The girls flew forward, effortlessly avoiding the attacks Lady sent out.

_"Love overcomes all negative feelings!"_ Lovely Entwined Capulet cried, running her hand through a stream of water. The water separated like it was butter and Lovely Entwined Capulet's hand was a hot knife.

_"It's always there! Even if you think you lost it, there are others who love you and you them! Sometimes you gain so much more love than lost!"_ Lovely Entwined Portia declared, hovering high with her hands over her heart. She spread her hands out, sending a shower of pale amber sparks that disintegrated the water.

_"You never lose love forever. Even when you feel despair, it's always there!"_ Lovely Entwined Montague said, punching her way through another ribbon of water.

_"No matter what happens to you, love is always there. You took Shylock from me, but I still felt love. I still feel his love, too! Shylock's love is always with me and no amount of despair can take that away!"_ Lovely Entwined Ariel hovered directly in front of Lady. A shimmering aura of gold appeared around her and became a dome, shoving Lady forcibly away.

_"You can never defeat us. You can never defeat love!"_ the quartet declared as one.

Once again they hovered in a row, meeting Lady's murderous glare with their own looks of steely resolve. They held hands and brought their joined hands in front of them. _"Our hearts are all entwined! With overflowing love!"_ they cried. A huge heart appeared in front of them, glowing gold with an aura that alternated between blue, pink, teal, and bronze. It grew progressively bigger until it was three times as large as the girls together. _"Pretty Cure...!"_

Lady shrieked and charged towards them.

Lovely Entwined Pretty Cure stood their ground, tightening their grip on each other, Montague and Capulet in the center. _"Lovely Illumination..."_

The heart shot forward, Lovely Entwined Pretty Cure flying right behind it. _"Embraaaaaace!"_ they screamed.

Lady and the heart met just then, sparks of gold and black spraying out from the impact. For a moment, it was a stalemate, with both sides pressing forward with all their might. Lovely Entwined Pretty Cure grit their teeth, eyes squeezed shut, sweat beading at their temples. Then with a loud cry, they pushed forward once more.

And the glowing heart completely enveloped Lady, growing rapidly until the entire town was bathed in golden light.

Inside the light, Lady was being torn apart into shreds of darkness. She shrieked in pure rage, the light and love tearing apart the despair she held, that was part of her. But she had one more act of defiance. With her last moments of being alive, she reached out with disintegrating hands and seized Lovely Entwined Capulet's and Montague's joined hands and poured the last of the despair and hatred out.

The girls screamed as the darkness attacked their hearts directly, but didn't let up on the attack.

Finally, Lady gave one more cry.** **_"Cuuuurse yooouuu!"_** **she shrieked, and then was gone.

The glow of the girls' attack grew bigger, then flashed.

All at once, the dark clouds were cleared away, replaced by bright blue skies; the wind died down to a calm, pleasant breeze; all the Despair Water disintegrated to nothing; and all the damage down to planet reversed itself.

* * *

><p><em>Eyecatch 1: Coffee and Ti hold a giant heart-shaped bubble wand, the breeze sending out a stream of bubbles. Inside four of the bubbles are tiny versions of the girls. In a flash of light, the girls twirl around and transform into Pretty Cure, their bubbles immediately becoming heart-shaped. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner.<em>

_Eyecatch 2: The four girls hold a large, pink heart-shaped cookie between them; Hiromi taking the left arc, Aki taking the right, Miho and Otome firmly holding either side of the bottom half. They snap the cookie apart and there is a bright pink flash of light. When it fades, the quartet are in their Cure forms, happily eating their cookie pieces. The Entwined Hearts logo appears in the corner._

* * *

><p>The light spread all the way to Kokoro, much to the citizens' surprise and relief. As it was doing on earth, the light in the sky sent golden sparkles drifting onto the people and environment. Healing everything. Tamora blinked and gasped, and the color returned to her face. Slowly, she let go of Riche's arm, took a step...and then twirled around, laughing. "I – I'm well again! I feel perfect! Riche!"<p>

"Tamora!" Riche laughed, lifting her into the air.

"They did it!" Punch yelled as the rest of Kokoro cheered.

Queen Meringue smiled down at her subjects, but Ti wasn't as satisfied.

He held his paws over his heart, a worried look on his face. "Mama, Papa, something's wrong," he whispered.

Cider blinked, then frowned. He looked into the crowd and met the eyes of Riche, Tamora, and Punch, all of whom looked as worried as Ti. "You three. Follow us to the mirror!"

* * *

><p>The girls blinked, finding themselves on the street, warm and dry and <em>alive.<em>

Miho was the first to sit up, glancing to her left. Otome was there, sitting up groggily and holding a hand over her head. "Hmmm..."

"We did it..." Miho said simply, eyes going wide.

"We did it...?" Otome repeated. Then she abruptly laughed and tackle-hugged Miho. "We did it!"

The girls held each other, shaking with laughter and crying in relief and joy. "We did it, we did it, we did it!" they chanted.

Finally, it dawned on them that they were the only ones celebrating. Aki and Hiromi must not have gotten up yet. Otome pulled away, laughing, and looked down the street. "Hey, Aki, Hiromi, we-!"

And then she stopped, joy leaving her face.

Aki and Hiromi lay on their backs, hands holding...and too still.

_Far_ too still.

"Hiromi! Aki!" Miho cried out as she ran forward, Otome close behind her.

Slowly, doors began opening and civilians began to step outside, blinking in the sunlight. They all soon saw the girls, and in mere moments a crowd was shuffling towards the scene, staying a respectable distance away. As Miho and Otome knelt over their friends, a low murmur broke out among the people. Where those girls okay? They were the ones who saved them, right? What had happened? Should someone call a hospital? A few people took out cell phones, either to call for help or to record the scene.

Miho and Otome were ignorant of all of this, dropping to their knees by their friends, reaching out with trembling hands to take their shoulders. They...there were okay, right? They had to be.

"Hiromi...Hey, Hiromi! We won!" Miho said, forcing a smile as she gently shook Hiromi's shoulders. "We won, everything's okay!"

Hiromi was quiet and still.

"Aki, everything's back to normal now. Everyone's safe, Lady's gone, the flood's gone too! See?" Otome glanced away as if to make sure there was really no more Despair Water, then looked back down at Aki. Her smile faded when she saw Aki's face: eyes still closed, mouth closed, a peaceful expression on her face.

It was the same with Hiromi. They both looked like they were in a deep sleep. And neither of them showed any sign of waking.

"...Hiromi?" Miho whispered, leaning closer to her, her nervous smile turning to a look of dread. "Hey, Hiromi!"

"Aki, it's time to wake up!" Otome cried, desperation ringing in her voice. _"Aki!_...you guys can't do this," she mumbled, voice breaking. Slowly, she set Aki back on the ground, her shoulders starting to tremble, tears in her eyes. "You can't do this..."

"It's not fair," Miho added, the last word punctuated by a sob. "It's n-not fair...Why are we the only ones – why do you two have to-?"

"Pretty Cure, datchu!" a familiar voice cried out.

Several people gasped and lifted their feet as Ti darted out of the crowd. Then more civilians began clearing a path as more people approached.

"Pardon us! Excuse us! We are here on royal business, excuse us!"

Ti ran to the girls as his parents, Riche and Tamora behind them, reached the front of the crowd and stopped, watching in dismay. "Otome, datchu! Miho, datchu! Are Aki and Hiromi okay?!"

"Ti..." Otome whispered, a tear making its way down her cheek. "Ti, sweetheart..."

Ti stared at her, then at Hiromi and Aki. "...it's not true, what you're about to say, datchu," he said quietly.

"Ti-" Miho began.

"It's not true! It's not true at all, datchu!" Ti's voice could be heard above everything, by all gathered. "Pretty Cure are invincible! Pretty Cure...Pretty Cure's supposed to all be fine, not just some of you, datchu!" When the other two girls said nothing, just tried to hold back their own crying, Ti's face crumpled, his own eyes growing shiny. "It can't be true, datchu..."

Coffee appeared behind him, reaching out a paw to touch his shoulder. "Ti-"

"Pretty Cure, get up! You have to get up, Pretty Cure!" Ti yelled, running to Aki and shaking her hand. It still felt warm. _"You're supposed to get up! You saved Kokoro, you saved everyone, you saved Earth..."_

As he spoke, various people, even complete strangers, found themselves in tears. Though some were weeping openly, others were hiding their sobs behind their hands, and still more were choking back their tears, everyone was affected by the scene. Not everyone knew these girls but...They'd given their lives for them, for the entire planet. And to see their friends like this, either accepting or in denial, was just...

Daisuke, Emma, Sebastian, and Nana were all shoving their way through the crowd as well. "Everyone move!" Daisuke cried. "Move, please, that's my youngest daughter over there!"

"Lady Aki...!" Emma gasped out a sob, Sebastian echoing her. "Otome!"

"Miho!" Nana yelled. "Miho, honey-!"

_"Aki! Hiromi!"_ Ti wailed again, tears freely coursing down his cheeks. _"You have to get up, please! You can't die, look how..._

_**"Look how many of us love you!** This isn't fair, you can't do this, datchu!"_ Ti collapsed against Aki's hand, sobbing quietly.

No one moved after that. Otome and Miho stayed where they were, not bothering to hide their own tears. Coffee turned away, paws over her mouth. Pretty Cure's families were like statues at the front of the crowd, eyes wide in expressions of horror and disbelief. Tamora let out a tiny sob and turned her face against Riche's shirt, her hands gripping the fabric as he closed his eyes and turned away, biting his lip. The king and queen of Kokoro covered their faces, shoulders trembling with faint sobs.

It just wasn't fair...

"We love you, Aki, Hiromi..." Ti whispered again, in a choked voice.

"We all..." Miho began.

"Love you..." finished Otome.

No one said anything after that. What was there _to_ say? Nobody moved to get closer just yet, though Daisuke fell to his hands and knees with his head bowed; everyone softly crying. It wasn't just the crowd gathered, either. In the school, Eguchi stared at her phone, watching the on-scene reporter break the news in a hushed, trembling tone as the camera focused solely on her, near the back of the crowd. Out of respect, they wouldn't film the grieving Pretty Cure and fairies. Mirai let herself be hugged by Antoinette and Yuki, Mrs Matoko sank into her chair numbly, in a corner of the room Emi covered her mouth and shook her head.

Around the world, for just a second, everyone's hearts beat at the exact same time, in the exact same rhythm.

…

The Cure Signets on Hiromi and Aki's fingers began glowing with a warm, golden light. This light eventually caught Ti's attention, and he lifted his face away from Aki's hand to stare at it in confusion. One by one, Coffee, Miho, and Otome all looked to the rings too, bewilderment on their tear-stained faces.

The light grew brighter and intensified until it caught the attention of everyone else gathered at the scene. They all watched, silent, as the glow slowly moved to envelop Aki and Hiromi's bodies, obscuring their features. And then it slowly began to dissolve away, floating into the air in golden sparkles, starting from the outside of their bodies and working towards the center.

The last of the light to vanish was the light over their hearts. And then there was nothing.

Ti broke the silence first. "Aki...Hiromi...?" he whispered.

…

…

"Mm..."

The atmosphere changed instantly, people gasping, leaning forward, staring...

And Aki's eyes slowly opened. She blinked once, dazed, and then shifted a bit to smile at Ti, her hand lifting to pet him. "Hey there, Ti..." she mumbled.

"Aki, datchu..." Ti gasped.

Beside her, Hiromi opened her eyes as well, mumbling something incoherent and lifting her hand to shield her eyes. "Hmmm, it's so bright..."

"Hiromi...!"

Hiromi smiled then, turning her head towards Miho. "Sorry we made you worry..." she whispered.

"Aki..." Miho and Otome both squeaked out, eyes filling up with tears all over again. "Hiromi...!"

The two girls and two fairies lunged at their friends, taking them into a group bear hug. They were quickly joined by Daisuke, then Emma and Sebastian, Nana, and the citizens of both Kokoro and Shitsuren. And then the crowd began cheering and laughing.

"Welcome back, girls! _Welcome back!"_

* * *

><p>Three weeks later, things had mostly quieted down.<p>

"I told you, you can't go here!"

_Mostly._

Mrs Matoko stood in front of the mirror on the stairway, hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. At the top of the stairs stood several students, all apparently having the same idea. "I don't know what rumors you've heard, but the mirror's gone!"

"It's right there!" someone protested, hands balling into fists.

"This is a _new_ mirror," groaned the teacher. "We gave the old mirror to someone else. Now get moving! Honestly, coming an hour early just to see a mirror..." Mrs Matoko grumbled as the kids slunk away in disappointment. She sighed, then looked at her reflection with a wry smile. "I think we'll have to assign guards for a while."

* * *

><p>At the Oshiro residence, Aki was putting in her hairclips and standing at the mirror over her bureau. One might wonder why she wasn't using the huge full-length mirror behind her, but the reason became obvious when it started glowing. Aki smiled and turned around in time to see Ti and Coffee leap out.<p>

"Aki, datchu!"

"Hey, friend!" Aki laughed, catching the younger fairy in her hands. "Hi, Coffee! Oh, hey, Otome!" she added, looking up as the other girl stepped out of the mirror.

Yes, Otome and the fairies had to return to Kokoro...But, with both worlds safe, and the mirrors still intact, they could come back to Earth whenever they pleased. And, judging by the extra school uniform and bag against the wall, was half the time.

"Is it really okay to skip school for the day?" Otome asked.

"Oh it's fine. It's Saturday, today is just extra classes – we don't have to go," Aki reassured her. "How's it been in Kokoro?" she asked as they left her room and headed for the stairs.

"Oh, it's been wonderful!" Otome took a moment to wave at Sebastian and Emma. "Kokoro's gotten a new fledgling Cure, and they've been wanting me to show her the ropes!"

* * *

><p>In Kokoro, the king and queen stood before a teenage girl, holding out a red Cure Signet. "Your heart holds so much love. Never stop loving others."<p>

"Yes!" said the girl, a 15-year-old with short, pink hair. Smiling, she took the ring and slipped it on, and suddenly transformed into a red and orange Cure.

"We present to you all, Cure Rosalind!"

* * *

><p>"Someday I'll bring her with me to meet you! She's been really excited."<p>

"I'm sure we'd love her! What about Riche and Tamora?"

"Well..."

* * *

><p>Tamora, now clad in a violet dress, still holding her teddy bear, sat in a chair with a huge smile on her face. A few other girls in elegant clothes sat with her, talking and laughing.<p>

"Ah, Tamora!" said one. "Would you like more rose tea?"

"Yes, please!"

From a distance, Riche sat with a book in front of him, but he didn't read it. Instead he kept peering over it, watching Tamora and her new friends.

"Riche made it, didn't he?" asked one of the other girls.

"Yup! His tea's the best there is!"

* * *

><p>Hiromi stood in front of Miho's house, hands cupped around her mouth like a megaphone. "Mi-ho! Hurry, we'll both be late!"<p>

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Miho ran past Nana, who sat inking at the table. The ink bottle wobbled a bit, but Nana grabbed it without looking and set it right.

"Don't be gone too long," she called over her shoulder.

Pochi barked in agreement.

"I wooon't..." Miho laughed as she slipped on her shoes. Then a moment later, she was out the door and approaching Hiromi.

"We're going to miss the previews, Miho!"

"No, no, your watch is ten minutes fast, Hiromi, we'll be _fine!"_

* * *

><p>Inside the Sugar Bowl, Yuki collapsed into a booth, loosening his apron. "Break time," he sighed. "We're busy today..."<p>

"Well, I see why," Antoinette said with a light smirk, examining her cupcake. "These Pretty Cure-cakes are getting popular. Even if they don't look like the girls themselves."

"Well, it'd be weird to eat your friend's face," Yuki muttered.

The cupcakes came in either pink, blue, aqua, or light brown, and had the appearance of being made of lace and heart-shaped jewels. And apparently people were buying them by the dozen.

"Hmmmm~" Mirai smiled, eyes closing.

"Hm? You getting a premonition, Mirai?"

"I foresee a happy reunion," Mirai said, opening her eyes again and biting into her pink cupcake.

* * *

><p>Aki and Otome ran past a purikura booth, heading to the entertainment district. After they passed by, the curtain parted a bit, and Nanase peered out, watching them go. With a dramatic sigh, she let the curtain fall and sat back in her seat.<p>

"Are you still crushing on Oshiro?" Eguchi asked with a frown. "You know she's got a girlfriend."

"The heart wants what it wants, Eguchi! It'll be a while before I find someone else...Maybe someone better than Oshiro! But until then-"

"Until then, maybe I should introduce you to some girls at my cousin's school," Eguchi muttered, pressing a few buttons on the panel before her. "Now smile!"

* * *

><p>"Miss Watanabe! Miss Watanabe, over here!"<p>

"Is it true that you know Pretty Cure personally?!"

"Are you secretly a Cure yourself?!"

"Emi is taking no further questions!" yelled Yoshi, guiding Emi by the arm into their limosuine.

"Miss Kita! You're the girlfriend, can you verify the rumors that Miss Watanabe is a magical princess?"

"I'm just playing one in my new movie!" Emi said, blushing and laughing awkwardly. As the paparazzi began yelling excitedly all over again, Emi seized Yoshi's hand and the two of them threw themselves into the car. "No further questions!" Emi yelled before the door closed and the driver took off.

Yoshi sighed, adjusting her glasses. "Did you _have_ to tell them that, Emi-chi?"

"Oh course I did!" Emi laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. It was a little past her shoulders now, growing nicely. Soon it would be as long as she'd always hoped it'd be. "It's a little fun to tease them like that, I've found."

Yoshi sighed, but still smiled.

At the same time, they both looked down at the script sitting on Emi's lap. On the front cover was a picture of a girl with long, blonde hair and wearing a white and pink ballgown. In her hand she held a scepter with a heart-shaped jewel on top. In the foreground were three smaller figures, all in color-coded dresses and tiny tiaras, wielding wands. The movie title, "Love of Stars" was bottom and center.

"I hope my friends like it," said Emi. "They're getting premiere tickets!"

* * *

><p>Aki waved her arm over her head as her small group approached Hiromi and Miho. The other two girls waved back, and soon both parties met. Hiromi threw herself at Aki, who caught her and swung her around a bit before they all began to walk off towards the theater.<p>

* * *

><p>ED: "Rainbow-Colored Future" – BoA ft. Entwined Hearts 4<p>

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe how <em>normal<em> everything looks," Miho said, glancing around. "It's strange..."

"All the damage was undone when we defeated Lady," Otome said. "I checked back in Kokoro too, the same thing happened there! Even all the dead flowers came back!"

"The power of love is strong indeed..." Hiromi said with a soft smile.

"Awwwww!" Aki laughed, making her girlfriend turn bright red.

"I think that's part of what helped Tamora heal as much as she has too!" said Coffee.

"Everything's okay, datchu!"

Everyone laughed, but certainly didn't disagree. They continued on in silence for a moment, then Otome stopped. "Eh?"

The others stopped too, turning to look at her. "Hm? What's up, Otome?" asked Miho.

Otome stared at something ahead, eyes narrowed slightly. "It must be my imagination...but that..." she began.

Up ahead, someone suddenly tensed up, as if sensing eyes on them. They turned around...

Otome blinked once, expression going neutral. Then her eyes grew shiny, a shaky smile appearing on her face. "No way...no way!" She pulled away from the group, and the others let her run, just watching with smiles on their own faces.

The other person, a young man with shoulder-length, dark hair and green eyes, slowly smiled, raising a hand in greeting. Then as Otome drew nearer, he held his arms out.

Otome leaped into them without a second thought, laughing and crying at the same time. Tears that weren't her own hit her neck, another voice laughing as the two spun around. _"Shylock!"_

* * *

><p>ON THE NEXT EPISODE:<p>

Airi: "It's nice to meet you all! My name is Airi Honda, and a new PreCure is starting, about me and my friends Fuuka Mori and Kiko Kobayashi!"

Fuuka: "We'll definitely cure all your ills and ease your hearts!"

Kiko: "Our friendship will never be beaten! We hope to see you all really soon!

All: "Next time on Cure Cure! PreCure!: '****A Wonderful Feeling! I Am Pretty Cure!****'"

Airi: "Everyone, be well!"

* * *

><p>Cure Rosalind is the property of MrAntonio<p> 


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